释“易”及阴阳

Interpretations of Yi 易 and Yin-Yang 阴阳

"易"字在甲骨文、金文中是由左右结构两个形体构成的会意字,其本义是表示日出山谷夜去昼来的变化,而不是蜥蜴之象形。阳字是由三个形体构成的会意字,而不是从从易的形声字,其本义是日照为阳。阴字是由三个形体组合而成的会意字,表示无光的暗凉之境即为阴。易由语言文字,经概念提升为阴阳学说的名称。阴阳则经概念、范畴,提升为中国哲学的基本问题兼基本范畴。

The character Yi 易 is a Chinese character with associative bodies in Inscription on Tortoise Shells and Bones and Inscriptions on Bronze. The literal meaning of this character is the change from sun arising out of valley and night vanishing while day arriving rather than the ideograph of lizard. Yang 阳 is a character with three associative bodies; being not a character of echoism, it means sunshine. Yin 阴 is a character composed of three associative bodies, which means the gloominess with no sunshine. Yi is elevated to the name of Yin-Yang theory via concept from a character. Yin-Yang is elevated to the fundamental issues and categories of the Chinese philosophy from concepts and categories.