单音节汉字的根本属性是象似性

Basic Attribute of Individual Chinese Characters:Iconicity

自索绪尔提出任意说至今已一个世纪,20世纪前中期,任意说一直是语言学界的教条,至后半个世纪,学者们通过深入研究发现语言的象似性也是惊人的。20世纪90年代后学界开始任意说和象似说的争论,两大阵营支持者都为数众多。基本观点是:汉语言的根本属性是象似性,但是这个结论是在作了一些界定的条件下做出的:研究对象是单个汉字;研究角度是历时性的。如果没有这两个条件的限制,任意性或者象似性还将是无果之争的。

It has been a century since Saussure first proposed arbitrariness of language symbols, and it was a doctrine in linguistic community before mid -20＇s. Some researchers found remarkable iconicity as well. Arbitrariness and iconicity became two opposite communities which both had its supports since 1990s. This research holds the view that the basic attribute of Chinese characters is iconicity, which is drawn upon certain limits ： research subjects are single Chinese characters and the angle is diachronic. Without the two limits, the debate would still go with no end.