**A Review of the *Compendium of Naxi Pictographic Script***
This review evaluates "A Compendium of Naxi Pictographs" (纳西象形文字谱), compiled by Fang Guoyu with Ho Chih-wu, published by Yunnan People's Publishing House in April 1981. The Naxi people of Yunnan use the ancient Dongba script—still actively read, written, and interpreted by Dongba priests today—to record Dongba scriptures, giving it unique value for studies of writing history, graphology, and comparative script theory. Reviewing prior Dongba dictionaries (by Yang Zhonghong, He Sichuan, Li Lin-tsan, and Joseph Rock), the author notes each has limitations in accessibility, accuracy, or scope, making this new Compendium a valuable resource. Likened to a Naxi counterpart of the Chinese classic "Shuowen Jiezi," it collects 1,340 characters and systematically documents form, pronunciation (based on the Dayan dialect, transcribed via IPA per Dongba usage), and meaning (per Dongba priests' interpretations). Its major theoretical contribution is Fang's "ten categories" (十书) system, which adapts the traditional Chinese "six categories" (六书) framework—notably subdividing pictographs into three types: direct depiction, emphasized distinctive features, and altered original forms—paralleling analogous patterns identifiable in oracle-bone Chinese characters.
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