New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-11-07

Excavations OF mankind and recur conan-a.y ~
al s,vles. Tnsy constitute the nuc.e IS % t"s
.nsa,ge and when sqeired the Learner may ise'
th.t be has already possessed himself OF the mAln
citadel OF the country which he q endeayoFinS 70
conquer.
la the nexs place. II IS o1ly by this preliminary
krouledse Of tic real Geographic power and sig
ulScance Of each primitive symbol aud elemen's'y
character Of the language that the remaining gaes
hon can be ss,tled-yit How many OF the cora-
pound characters formed out Of them hsve been
Constructed upon the sane principle. and 20"
many upon the more modern phou etic eontrivsnee'
la other worcs, 10 is only by this means thar the
limits between the Geographic and Phonesie de-
veopnent Of the language can be determined
il ns been assumed, SIS have slready observed,
.hat ..i the compound Characters Of the language.
AZ east. ere ecEstracied upon the phonetic nm
cipls. while the construction OF the elementary
Characters WAS lsf. sAsccOuntsd FOR. Thus theory
disappears az ou.e. n1Sever, before s more den-
nits know edge e ne struCtc- and q mbclcel
significance Of ibe elementary cAarscssrs. Column
s.ter column o., the CstniuOrs Ot the compound
CHARACTERS s,aad oas a. once Gs obvious sad legl-
sir,sts Deductions from the combinations OF sym
bo, a. ~ rich thew consist These compound cha
rxcter. tho. picture forth the idea which attaches
n tns word they represent with an aPtner aad
iie.itv which could never have resulted from q
mere chance aggregation OF the paris, such as
results necessarily from the phonetic eonST1Vance'
The spacs to which am obliged TO conhne my
self On tAis occasion forbits my going extensively
into this brandt Of the invest CATION. The iolo~
ing cases, however will be sufficient 20 establish
the correctness of these positions, though nos to
ipacste Ice extent ~ which they hold good and
WITH them vii close the present essay.
"Huax." composed Of the emblem OF 'eords
" hun that for 81 rHc'osSrc, see No 6s means
n9fss trace from reference 20 the reveroeTstl0n
Of con'used sound.
Combined then with the character for q stone II
means ne rlstiag aoisc ~ stones, as IN ssircsm
OF Ws'cr.
Combined with the character Tor metal i! means
the noise 81 q cell or brasrn drum
Combined with the chsrscter Tor leather. as the
emblem presume Of strap, Which the Chinese
magistrates sre in the habit Of using rather Iioer
ally. It means to iaterr0gate cHiDrit. iEQviSR'0H
Or iatcsJgaiiDB, aud bss reference probably =
punishment for The purpose OF iJrclng cohesion,
sod the bowling or cries Of TIE victim.
Now all these several different senses, ercsPt
fhs last, are siguihed in toe spoken language ny I,
the same vocal syllable. and hence the composition
Of the characters might be accounted for on n |
phonetic theory. Bat Row then account for he
same generic mesn,ng running through the o.u
position ofthe written characters precisely sniN
n kind TO that whcn attaches TO the yocs sus-
Ole. NOOne can reasonably doubt tina, u 'n we
idea and not the sound merely which dicated tne
com position Of the characters ~ this cas- IN o'her
ap upon the same plan IS the 50 calld simple OF
elementary characters which we he previously |
examined. twill Ia time enough resort u tne
phonetic solution when We fsll Hace IN 'deo
S-sphic reason for the com bna,iOs Ia question /
sill adj iew other illustration
"Ta,' tho emblem Of tbrny tree, slgnints
horns or thorny. tSee No Jgl
Combined with the character for raier' II slsni
das IN ono pronunciation M ran, and ~ another
O. SPOT, ss by sprinkling a iqad The connection
'stwesn the idea u skIE P0'f' 50 OF morn or
pm and that which is aaEte, as me dUp' or
mail specSs, is obvioUi To d9t IS nesriy the
sane as 10 p icS, whit DOT, 'poi 'PeeS are the
same.
Combined with the 'hsrsctsr for cord, Il means
a b,ffrg ryprcaek a iotirs. The French call this
piguotsyis from pigier. TO prick. and the Germsns
say siscteirort tor sScastic expression, from
rerkea, 10 PRICK
Combined with the character for kaJs, 1t
means 10 prick. round-sn idea intimately as
ISOLATED With TIT ct a sharp point, as a thorn.
Combined With the character for me hSdri tide
no,es @ comPdia that a. to be pricked or PANIED
IN the heart
ComSlnd with the character f,r ,ickae,s or die
sass il signhes the chW' A. iersy, which may nos /
nsDty o,regnded - piercing or prickiing sea I
,Ation ~ odd
Cou,,ned y iih the character for ir,rel.Dg. viz .
a MAJ sstrlde, and tracks, u means % hIsten /
yHicl, che ides being pretty evidently that OF spur
mr. ~ and qalckeniug the motion OF the traveller
csmbined with the character for a bqn.boJ
ass signifies g. Htmaia's, 10 PRICK, 5he bamboo
setog stick or instrument for Arustmg. punch
isg or g01diag.
Combined with the character for yLrnfs herb.
ggs gross, Z. means also the same thing, II Drick
70 v0Hni. h9rHs. The relation OF idea here 3.
testified TO sy the English word spar Of grass,
referring rather, perhaps 70 its shape than 10 I,s
.ctus ability 10 plerce.
Combined with the character for a hand, it sig
naes 10 e'ect 10 choose, that is ~ pick out This
dss IS quite cOgnate 20 that of Drick,ng Thus
he French verb p'gUer 10 related IN form 10 the
English verb 10 pick, bat 10 meaning TO the verb
10 puck. The original idea OF selecting or pick
,ng seems 10 bs that Of ,hrusting forth the hand
and hitting particular object ~ way Of desig-
mating 1t as ths; upon which the ctUice fails
Let us Ia the next place take up P6 Do
character which have expOonded - deno,ug \
og Of wood the tres cot Of at both ,nds sec No.
49, Considered as an emblem, IL denotes the
meaning Of the spoken word which / represents,
which is big. BY way of illustrating the mode
ot forming the compound characters, | will aso
give all those into which this simple character
enters.
The irst is pei" 10 fear. Jeayias thus
No. /. The right hand half 10 pei
~ the log IF rood, mesning6ig, see No.
w 49, which We may assume asa gen
era emblem Tor the ide, Of 6lg, far.
fbrlfhg anu tue icls nADu part Is tic contracted
form Of the emblem for the heart, hch is always
used when u comes on the side OF tic prim alive
or main part Of a compound character The heart
lshere what is called the raa<edi mdifey or key
II the character and the log Of ,o00d tho prims-
ire or 90 called DhoH,tic. The combination sna,
Dc interpreted big hsart. an allusion o the swell
ing sensation AZ the heart caused By car, which !
il sometimes described az " the heart coming up
into the mouth"
The next Is pei, obstructi0a of ts inten,aes,
lhus
No. 2 The character b tn left and .
- above, = the emblem for sriaess d.s- /
~ ea'e. The compound may b. interpret (
NN ed big beIiy, In sllas0n 70 ts sweliug .
caused BY obstruction.
The next Is PEI broad face, TIPS
~ No. , The primitive il bare OF the /
NH LEFT The character on theright 10 the /
~ emblem for tho kEma4 AS1i or face /
The symbolization is completely de- /
scriptise.