Simplification and Redundancy in Naxi Dongba Script
This article examines two common phenomena in the evolution of writing systems—simplification (jiǎnshěng) and redundancy (xiányú)—as they appear in Naxi Dongba script, a relatively primitive pictographic writing system. Drawing primarily on Fang Guoyu's "Naxi Pictograph Compendium" and Li Lincan's "Moso Pictograph Dictionary," the author classifies and describes multiple types of simplification: partial representation of whole forms in pictographs, omission of components in compound ideographs, omission of semantic or phonetic elements in phono-semantic characters (both single- and multi-syllable), and simplification within "character groups" combining multiple graphs. Correspondingly, it identifies redundancy types, including superfluous supplementary elements in composite pictographs (e.g., unnecessary depiction of eyes, mouth, or body parts) and redundant phonetic components in "annotative" phono-semantic characters formed by adding phonetic markers to already self-sufficient pictographic or ideographic characters. The study aims to clarify the mechanisms and causes behind these patterns, contributing to research on Dongba script and general grammatology.
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