Examining the Evolution of Dongba Characters through Literature
Bai Xiaoli's 2013 article proposes a methodology for dating the evolution of Naxi Dongba script by using textual evidence rather than speculative general laws of script development. Reviewing prior dating attempts by Li Lin-ts'an, Yu Suisheng, and Deng Zhangying, the author argues for two complementary approaches: texts with an absolute date (scriptures with dated colophons) and texts with a relative chronology (derived from regional distribution along the Naxi migration route, changes in a single scribe's usage over his lifetime, and differences between scribes linked by a teacher-student lineage). Using case studies of the directional terms 'east/west/north/south,' the phrase 'prolong life,' and the word 'document' across dated scriptures and practical texts (land contracts, IOUs, inscriptions), the article demonstrates a clear historical trend toward one-character-one-syllable correspondence, and stresses comparing only texts of the same genre.
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