The "Six Principles of Character Formation" (Liushu) in Naxi Writing
This article, written by Zhou Youguang in memory of linguist Fu Maoji, analyzes the Naxi writing system through the traditional Chinese "six categories" (liu shu) framework for character formation. The Naxi script is described as a multi-component, multi-layered system occupying a transitional position between "pictographic-ideographic" and "logo-phonetic" writing. Dongba script consists mainly of pictographs, with indicative symbols (some independent, some attached), semantic-compound characters (at both discourse and word levels), and phono-semantic characters representing words or phrases; its phonetic loans are partial, while Geba script's loans are complete. New statistics show over 2,200 Dongba characters: 58% basic forms, 30% variants, 1% derivatives; 47% pictographs, 33% semantic-compound/indicative, and 19% phono-semantic/phonetic-loan characters—proportions resembling oracle-bone script. The author highlights Naxi writing's unique status: comparable only to Japanese in structural complexity, yet uniquely self-originated and evolving rapidly from pictographic to syllabic writing within a short historical period.
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