楚文字的历史发展与地域文字系统的形成

On the Historical Development of Chu Chinese Characters and the Forming of Regional Text System

楚文字是个具有包容性的概念,在不同的历史时期有其不同的含义。目前可知时代最早的楚文字保留了西周早期文字的特点,结合文献记载推测楚人使用汉字最晚在商末周初。这些楚文字是西周晚期的铜器铭文,已经与西周晚期通行的文字拉开差距,形成了一些字体与构形诸方面的特色。春秋楚文字形成颀长整饬与屈曲美化两种字体,随着楚国军事与政治的扩张,风行江汉与江淮流域。经过战国早期的过渡,战国中期楚文字实现了内部的统一,形成了独具特色的地域汉字系统。随着楚地域的不断扩大,楚文字内部也产生了一定程度的地方差异。

Chu Chinese character is an inclusive concept which is with different connotation in different periods of time. It has been revealed so far that the earliest Chu characters kept the feature of the early Xi Zhou characters so that we can assume the time when Chu people first used Chinese characters was in the late Xia and early Xi Zhou and used on the bronze inscription which were with characteristics differentiated with generally used characters in the late Xi Zhou period in structure and typeface. Chu Chinese characters had been realized internal unity in the mid of warring-states period which was with unique features of regional text system,and there had been internal differences growing along with the expansion of Chu state.