@article{ART003216763},
author={SEOWEONAM},
title={A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System},
journal={Cross-Cultural Studies},
issn={1598-0685},
year={2025},
volume={75},
pages={191-220}
TY - JOUR
AU - SEOWEONAM
TI - A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System
JO - Cross-Cultural Studies
PY - 2025
VL - 75
IS - null
PB - Center for Cross Culture Studies
SP - 191
EP - 220
SN - 1598-0685
AB - This study investigates Zhuanzhu (轉注) and Jiajie (假借), two of the Six Principles (六書) of Chinese character formation, focusing on how their respective mechanisms had complementarily contributed to the development of Chinese vocabulary and the structural coherence of the Chinese writing system. Zhuanzhu, based on semantic expansion and analogy, enables diversification and refinement of meanings within a word family, often through creation of synonymous or related compound words. In contrast, Jiajie, based on phonetic borrowing, facilitates the expression of new grammatical and abstract concepts by reusing existing characters with similar sounds, thereby preventing an unmanageable increase in the total number of character forms.
Through close textual analysis, this study demonstrated how these two principles operated in tandem during the formation of disyllabic words and grammatical structures in Classical Chinese. Examples from early canonical texts and later vocabulary developments showed a diachronic continuity of these mechanisms. Furthermore, the emergence of post hoc characters (後起字) to resolve semantic ambiguity caused by Jiajie illustrated a self-regulating mechanism inherent in the writing system.
In conclusion, Zhuanzhu and Jiajie not merely ancient tools for character formation. Instead, they were core linguistic principles that shaped the expressive power, grammatical structure, and systemic stability of the Chinese language. Their theoretical value remains relevant in contemporary areas such as Chinese lexicography, language pedagogy, and digital language processing.
KW - Zhuanzhu;Jiajie;Six Principles;disyllabic words;Chinese character structure;historical linguistics;writing system stability
DO -
UR -
ER -
SEOWEONAM. (2025). A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System. Cross-Cultural Studies, 75, 191-220.
SEOWEONAM. 2025, "A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System", Cross-Cultural Studies, vol.75, pp.191-220.
SEOWEONAM "A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System" Cross-Cultural Studies 75 pp.191-220 (2025) : 191.
SEOWEONAM. A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System. 2025; 75 191-220.
SEOWEONAM. "A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System" Cross-Cultural Studies 75(2025) : 191-220.
SEOWEONAM. A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System. Cross-Cultural Studies, 75, 191-220.
SEOWEONAM. A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System. Cross-Cultural Studies. 2025; 75 191-220.
SEOWEONAM. A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System. 2025; 75 191-220.
SEOWEONAM. "A Study on Complementary Functions of Zhuǎnzhù and Jiǎjiè: Focusing on the Interaction between Expressive Power and Stability in the Chinese Writing System" Cross-Cultural Studies 75(2025) : 191-220.
