三种象似符的连续与互动

The Continuity and Interaction of Three Icon Types

以皮尔斯符号理论为基础,通过研究汉字中的象似符及其发展演变,探讨图像、图表和隐喻之间是否连续、如何互动的问题。研究表明,有的象似符具有较为纯粹的某种象似性,有的象似符兼具两种或三种象似性;图像符号、图表符号和隐喻符号都可发生在符号最初形成的第一层级。在汉字演变过程中,有的图像符号变成了图表符号;有的图像符号被用来表达与其对象不同但又相似的事物,变成了隐喻符号。在图表象似符和隐喻象似符之间,有一种过渡性的符号,我们称之为隐喻图式符。隐喻图式符以图式形式再现了抽象的概念。图像、图表和隐喻象似符之间是连续的,它们的规约性依次增强,体现了象似符号规约化的趋势。

In the light of Piercean Semiotics, by researching icons in Chinese characters and their evolution, it is to be investigated in the paper whether there is a continuum between image, diagram and metaphor and how the three types interact with each other. The study demonstrates that icons’ iconicity can be pure or mixed;image, diagram and metaphor can all occur at the first level of signs. In the course of Chinese characters’ evolution, some images developed into diagrams, and some images became metaphors through being used to represent other things similar to their original objects. A transitional icon type exists between diagram and metaphor, which is named metaphor schema. Metaphor schemata represent abstract concepts in the form of schemata. The conventionality of signs gradually increases from image-diagram-to metaphor, which embodies the symbolizing trend of icons. Image, diagram and metaphor constitute a continuum of icons.