字与字符:字的同一性判断及字与字符的关系变化

Judgment of the Same Grapheme and Relationship Evolution of the Grapheme and Graph

字是记录语言单位的符号,字符是记录字的符号。字符通过形体与其他字符相区别,而字的功能是通过字符表现不同语言单位。汉字系统中存在同字异字符和同字符异字的情况。字符有本用、兼用和借用三种职能,判断字符是否属于同一个字的标准有两条:一是字记录的语言单位相同,二是该字符只使用本用,并且不存在其他本用。在文字发展过程中,字与字符的关系也在发生变化。

To know the number of graphemes in writing system requires the distinguishment between graphs and graphemes. A grapheme records a word, and is recorded by one or more graphs. Graphs differ from each other by their written forms;the grapheme’ function is to record different words through its graphs. Different graphemes may share one same graph, and one grapheme may have different graphs. Graphs have three kinds of functions. There are two standards to determine whether a graph belongs to the same grapheme: 1) the words recorded is the same;2) the graph is only used to record the original word. In the development of Chinese writing systems, the relationship between graphemes and graphs alters.