2025 Vol. 16 №1

Hieroglyphic sign weakening mechanisms

DOI

10.5922/2225-5346-2025-1-7

Pages

103-124

Abstract

This article is the study of the Chinese characters through the semiotic weakening law. The hieroglyphic sign shapes the Chinese linguistic and cultural domain following the unique algorithm to code information. However, the linear principle of the Indo-European semiotics can hardly be applied to the Chinese semiotics with the hieroglyph sign at its heart. This makes the problem of the research obvious, that is to study cognitive processes that underlie the formation of the Chinese characters. The objective of the research is to identify the basic mechanisms of the hieroglyphic signs weakening. This research is based on the works of Charles S. Peirce, Charles W. Morris, Yuri S. Stepanov, Sergey G. Proskurin, Viktor P. Va­si­liev, Lev S. Vygotsky, Xue Jin, Li Feng, and others. The analysis of 214 characters has revea­led the basic mechanisms of weakening. The general scientific methods are as follows: gra­pheme analysis to study the structural components of the hieroglyphic sign, semantic and etymological analysis to trace the evolution of the form and meaning of a character. The re­search has revealed the following weakening mechanisms: simplification, complication, prese­rvation. These changes in form trigger semantic variations based on metaphoric and meto­nymic shifts. To study the mechanisms of sign formation is of significance because it enables us to solve the problems in intercultural communication. The investigation of the cognitive processes that underlie the formation of the hieroglyphic code allows us to get a deeper insight into how the native speakers of the Chinese language categorize reality.

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