indicative character; one of the Six Principles of Chinese characters
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesnoun
indicative character; one of the Six Principles of Chinese characters, formed by symbolic signs to represent abstract concepts
formalA technical term in Chinese paleography. Unlike pictographic characters (象形) that represent concrete objects, 指事 characters use abstract symbols or added strokes to indicate location, number, or direction. Examples include 上 (up) and 下 (down), which were originally written as 𠄞 and 𠄟 respectively.
Indicative characters are one of the Six Principles, using abstract symbols to represent concepts.
"Up" and "down" are typical indicative characters, with ancient forms written as "𠄞" and "𠄟" respectively.
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Unlike pictographic characters, indicative characters often use abstract symbols to indicate direction or quantity.
When studying Chinese character structure, understanding indicative characters helps in comprehending the evolution of character forms.