pictographic writing; picture writing
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesnoun
pictographic writing; picture writing (writing system using whole pictures to convey meaning, without fixed pronunciation)
A type of proto-writing where whole pictures represent meaning. It cannot be broken down into individual characters and lacks fixed pronunciation. Often associated with prehistoric rock art or early communication systems. Distinct from later pictographic characters (象形文字) which are part of a true writing system with fixed forms.
Yuán原
shǐ始
shè社
huì会
shǐ使
yòng用
de的
tú图
huà画
wén文
zì字
hái还
méi没
yǒu有
gù固
dìng定
de的
dú读
fǎ法
。
The pictographic writing used by primitive societies did not yet have fixed pronunciations.
Zhè这
zhǒng种
tú图
huà画
wén文
zì字
yòng用
zhěng整
fú幅
tú图
huà画
biǎo表
shì示
yì意
si思
，
běn本
shēn身
bù不
néng能
fēn分
jiě解
chéng成
zì字
。
This type of pictographic writing uses whole pictures to express meaning and cannot itself be broken down into characters.
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Kǎo考
gǔ古
xué学
jiā家
zài在
yán岩
bì壁
shàng上
fā发
xiàn现
le了
gǔ古
lǎo老
de的
tú图
huà画
wén文
zì字
。
Archaeologists discovered ancient pictographic writing on the rock walls.
Tú图
huà画
wén文
zì字
bèi被
rèn认
wéi为
shì是
xiàng象
xíng形
wén文
zì字
de的
qián前
shēn身
。
Pictographic writing is considered the predecessor of pictographic characters.