An analysis of the features of the Bouyei Sinographic ancient writing system

Abstract

During the dissemination of Chinese characters, not only were they extensively used in countries such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, but a number of Sinographic writing systems also emerged within China. This study, based primarily on The Bouyei Square-shaped Ancient Characters and “The Baimo script: A study of the Bouyei characters from Shuicheng County”, Guizhou Province, conducts a systematic examination of the locally invented characters contained therein. The findings indicate that this writing system can be divided into two major categories: simple characters (pictographs, indicative characters, numerical symbols, and signal symbols) and compound characters (associative compounds and phono-semantic compounds). Of particular note is that in the formation of certain phono-semantic compounds, the creators not only employed self-created pictographs and indicative characters as phonetic components, but also incorporated Latin letters as phonetic elements, revealing the influence of cross-cultural contact on the character formation system. This phenomenon demonstrates the remarkable adaptability and creativity exhibited by Chinese characters during their southward dissemination and localization. It also provides crucial material for understanding the diversity and historical evolution of Sinographic writing systems.