Languages Around the World/LanguageWorld.iso/language/japanese/njstar/thoughts.214

Text File | 1994-02-14 | 6.0 KB | 113 lines

          SOME THOUGHTS ON THE 214 ▓┐╩╫ AS IMPLEMENTED IN NJSTAR

                    by ╙ª╝╬║╞ (ingar.holstú└admin.uio.no)

    The classical 214 radicals once constituted  the  orthodox  paradigm  for
classification of Chinese characters  throughout  the  Orient  where  Chinese
characters are  in  use.  However,  following  the  revolution  in  1949  the
lexicographers in Mainland China  have  abandoned  the  214  radicals  as  an
orthodoxy, deleting and inventing radicals according to their whim.  This was
done  simultaneously  with  the  simplification  of  the  Chinese  characters
themselves, and some may find the breaking down of  the  214  radical  system
justified in this context, though I  am  not  among  them.  I  have  come  to
appreciate the existence of the first of long  standing  standards  that  the
concerned communities in Japan, the Mainland, Tai-wan, Hong  Kong  and  other
lands may learn to master in order to enjoy the crossing of cultures. I  find
the 214 radicals to serve this its purpose excellently.

    My sources for the structure of the 214 radical paradigm  have  been  the
following works:

1.) the Nelson dictionary (I believe it needs no further introduction).

2.) Jack Halpern: í╛╨┬║║╙ó╫╓╡Σí┐, ISBN 4-7674-9040-5, ╤╨╛┐╔τ, ╢½╛⌐ 1990─Ω.

3.) ╨í┴╓╨┼├≈ (ed.): í╛╨┬╤í║║║═┤╟╡Σí┐, ╨í╤º╣▌│÷░µ╔τ, ╢½╛⌐ 1963─Ω.

    Each radical has a number, from 1 to 214, and each Chinese  character  of
the GuoBiao set has been assigned one radical. When you (the users of NJStar)
make error reports or merely opinionate on my radical classification,  please
then refer to the radical by its number, for convenience and clarity:


1╥╗     2╪¡     3╪╝     4╪»     5╥╥     6┴╦     7╢■     8┘∩     9╚╦╪Θ   10╢∙
11╚δ    12░╦    13╪τ    14┌ó    15┘√    16╝╕    17█╔    18╡╢╪╓  19┴ª    20┘Φ
21╪░    22╪╬    23¿╚    24╩«    25▓╖    26┌α    27│º    28█╠    29╙╓    30┐┌
31αφ    32═┴    33╩┐    34Γ║    36╧ª    37┤≤    38┼«    39╫╙    40σ▓    41┤τ
42╨í    43▐╠╙╚  44╩¼    45σ°    46╔╜    47τ▌┤¿  48╣ñ    49╝║    50╜φ    51╕╔
52τ█    53╣π    54█╚    55▐├    56▀«    57╣¡    58σµ    59ßΩ    60ß▄    61╨─Γα
62╕Ω    63╗º    64╩╓▐╨  65╓º    66Ω╖δ╢  67╬─    68╢╖    69╜∩    70╖╜    71╬▐
72╚╒    73╘╗    74╘┬    75─╛    76╟╖    77╓╣    78┤⌡    79∞»    80╬π─╕  81▒╚
82├½    83╩╧    84╞°    85╦«π▀  86╗≡∞ß  87╫ª    88╕╕    89╪│    90π▌    91╞¼
92╤└    93┼ú    94╚«ßδ  95╨■    96╙±═⌡  97╣╧    98═▀    99╕╩    100╔·   101╙├
102╠∩   103±Γ   104≡┌   105╖ó   106░╫   107╞ñ   108├≤   109─┐   110├¼   111╩╕
112╩»   113╩╛∞Ω 114└δ   115║╠   116╤¿   117┴ó   118╓±   119├╫   120⌠Θµ∙ 121≤╛
122═°   123╤≥   124╙≡   125└╧   126╢°   127±τ   128╢·   129φ▓φ▒ 130╚Γ╘┬ 131│╝
132╫╘   133╓┴   134╛╩   135╔α   136Γ╢   137╓█   138⌠▐   139╔½   140▄│   141≥«
142│µ   143╤¬   144╨╨   145╥┬±┬ 146╬≈   147╝√   148╜╟   149╤╘┌Ñ 150╣╚   151╢╣
152⌡╣   153⌡⌠   154▒┤   155│α   156╫▀   157╫π   158╔φ   159│╡   160╨┴   161│╜
162σ┴   163╥╪┌Γ 164╙╧   165▓╔   166└∩   167╜≡ε─ 168│ñ   169├┼   170╕╖┌Γ 171┴Ñ
172÷┐   173╙Ω   174╟α   175╖╟   176├µ   177╕∩   178╬ñ   179╛┬   180╥⌠   181╥│
182╖τ   183╖╔   184╩│Γ╗ 185╩╫   186╧π   187┬φ   188╣╟   189╕▀   190≈╘   192█╦
193╪¬   194╣φ   195╙π   196─±   197┬▒   198┬╣   199┬≤   200┬Θ   201╗╞   202╩≥
203║┌   204φΘ   205÷╝   206╢ª   207╣─   208╩≤   209▒╟   210╞δ   211│▌   212┴·
213╣Ω   214┘▀

    There have been a few difficulties to overcome when trying to express the
214 radicals by GuoBiao characters alone. I will mention the  most  important
of these difficulties and how I went around them:

    Radical No. 6, í╛┴╦í┐, is strictly constituted of only the last  of  this
character's three strokes. I have chosen the GB character which most  closely
serves the purpose of illustrating this radical, which is  not  found  within
the GB set.

    Radical No. 23, í╛¿╚í┐, is not found within the GB set. I have picked one
of the bo-po-mo-fo letters that is of practically identical  shape,  although
the size should perhaps ideally have been a wee bit larger.

    Radical No. 105, í╛╖óí┐, is strictly constituted of only the top  element
of the FanTi variant of this character. This radical in  its  pure  form  has
five strokes.

    Radical No. 114, í╛└δí┐, is  strictly  constituted  of  only  the  bottom
element of this character. This radical has in its  pure  form  traditionally
five strokes.

    If any of the you should find  the  GB  equivalents  of  these  radicals,
please notify me by email. I have looked thoroughly though, so I don't expect
the missing radicals to be found.

    You will note that two radicals have been left  out  altogether,  namely,
Nos. 35 and 191. No. 35, which is not found within the GB set,  is  merely  a
variant of No. 34, and historically they also share the  same  characters.  I
have placed the one character that would have belonged to No.  35  under  No.
34, i.e. "summer" í╛╧─í┐. No. 191 does no longer exist within the  simplified
GB set, as it has become identical with No. 68. The characters  belonging  to
No.  191  has  likewisely  been  assigned  other   radicals   through   their
simplification, so I  have  not  made  excessive  endavour  in  search  of  a
replacement.

    Characters have been classified according to their simplified shapes,  so
the present classification will sometimes not make much sense if you write in
FanTi mode. For instance, "electricity" í╛╡τí┐ has been placed under  radical
No.102, í╛╠∩í┐, and  not  under  No.  173,  í╛╙Ωí┐,  where  it  traditionally
belongs, because its "rain" element  has  been  lost  in  the  simplification
process.

    I have done all the radical assignments.  Please  report  errors  of  the
radical  classification  to  me   (ingar.holstú└admin.uio.no),   and   errors
pertaining to the stroke count to Hongbo Ni. Feel free to write  me  even  if
you have no errors to report, but merely wish to opinionate or discuss,  say,
exchange views on radicals, et cetera.

Oslo, Norway, July 4th 1993.

Ingar Holst ú¿╙ª╝╬║╞ú⌐
Niels Juels gate #41-A
0257 Oslo
NORWAY
Tel.: [phone]
BBS:  [phone]
GSM:  [phone]