Let's study the history of Kanji !!

< TYPE >
Kanji

< READING >
The japanese reading : yawa-(ragu), yawa-(rageru), nago-(mu), nago-(yaka)
The sound reading : wa, o

< MEANING >
harmony, unity, peace, come to an understanding, the sum

< ORIGIN >
「禾」+「口」
「禾」: A hieroglyph. A state an ear of foxtail millet is round, and to hang down flexibly.
「口」: Form of a mouth. Form of a hole.

< USE >
和やか [na go - yaka] : peaceful
平和 [he i - wa] : peace
調和 [cho u - wa] : harmony
和風 [wa - fu u]　japanese
和食 [wa - sho ku] : japanese food

example) 私は和食が好きです。 [wa ta shi wa wa - sho ku ga su ki de su.] : I like japanese food.

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This time, I introduce "style of a kanji" on this time.

Kanji has 5 styles mainly.
They are "篆書 (seal character)" "隷書 (demotic semi-square style of Chinese handwriting)" "草書 (grass style)" "楷書 (block style)" "行書 (semi-cursive style)".
These have been developed in China.
The history of development has some opinions.
So, I introduce one opinion this time.


a ) 篆書 [ te n sho ] : seal character
It is said that this is style which developed from the letter which an old person dug to hexangular figure Luo or a bone of an animal.
This is an opening of the history of Kanji.

b ) 隷書 [ re i sho ] : demotic semi-square style of Chinese handwriting
This is style which developed as a substitute of a seal character.
In the days of the beginning, it seems to have been used only as shorthand use.

c ) 草書 [ so u sho ] : grass style
This is style which developed in the time same as the demotic semi-square style of Chinese handwriting.
This was used as shorthand use, too.
Some knowledge is necessary to use this style, and it is difficult to use even a Japanese.

d ) 楷書 [ ka i sho ] : block style
This is the most general form.
Everybody studies this style first.
About the time when this style developed, it is not made clear.

e ) 行書 [ gyo u sho ] : semi-cursive style
This style developed in the time same as the block style.
This is form for shorthand, too.
However, it is written intelligibly more carefully than the grass hand style.


I think that Kanji has been developed in style which it was easy to use for people of the time.
I introduced it before, ''Kana'' was developed by ''Kanji'' in Japan.
Do you know what kind of ''Kana'' was developed from ''和'' ?
It is ''わ [ wa ]'' of ''Hiragana''. ( ''f'' of an upper picture )

Is there a similar style ?


Thank you.
See you next time.

All of us are piece of peace.