Processing Chinese hand-radicals activates the medial frontal gyrus A functional MRI investigation

Embodied semantics theory asserts that the meaning of action-related words is neurally represented through networks that overlap with or are identical to networks involved in sensory-motor processing. While some studies supporting this theory have focused on Chinese characters, less attention has been paid to their semantic radicals. Indeed, there is still disagreement about whether these radicals are processed independently. The present study investigated whether radicals are processed separately and, if so, whether this processing occurs in sensory-motor regions. Materials consisted of 72 high-frequency Chinese characters, with 18 in each of four categories： hand-action verbs with and without hand-radicals, and verbs not related to hand actions, with and without hand-radicals. Twenty-eight participants underwent functional MRI scans while reading the characters. Compared to characters without hand-radicals, reading characters with hand-radicals activated the right medial frontal gyrus. Verbs involving hand-action activated the left inferior parietal lobule, possibly reflecting integration of information in the radical with the semantic meaning of the verb. The findings may be consistent with embodied semantics theory and suggest that neural representation of radicals is indispensable in processing Chinese characters.

谈谈安大一《诗经》从“手”的新见形声字

安大一《诗经》从“手”的新见形声字有四例:“■”“■”“■”与“■”。“■”字对应今本《毛诗》“掺”,《说文》引《诗》作“攕”,“■”为“攕”的异体字,都是为表示手纤细而造的专字,简本的“■”为声符,既表音亦表意。“■”字对应今本《毛诗》“升”,“■”为强调“在手”的专字,与“升”字为义近替换关系。“■”字对应今本《毛诗》“匊”,“■”即为《说文》“■”字,“■”与“■”左右偏旁互换,“■”省略“■”字右旁的“■”形,“■”是“掬”字异体。“■”字对应今本《毛诗》“笃”,简本的“■”可读为“擣”,“■”与“擣”为异体字。