Compound Words Are Clearer (11)

The different connections between derived words and compound words looks like the connections between the water pipe and water hose. The former has to be fitted exactly together, while the later connected loosely that hose (word) A. bends a little bit towards hose (word) B. and the B. does the same thing. Finally they melted together into one word. All this process is hard to be described by language but every easy to understand in mind.

 Someone use the words as flexional and agglutinative to describe it. I think the reason of using derivation is from the property of pronunciation. For instance the first letter of a suffix will be compromised with the last letter of a certain words, while compound words don’t need to worry about this.  

In such point of view, Chinese have no prefix and suffix. Normally the position tells the lexical category. For instance pig-meat means pork, while meat-pig, means a sort of pig, the purpose that we raise it is for its meat, not the skin or other parts of its body. Likewise, red-apple is a sort of apple, and apple-red is a colour, it look like the red that when an apple is ripe. Not only this, some ancient Chinese poems called 回文诗. That you can read it started from either first character, or second, third, fourth character etc. it always made a poem. Below is a famous example, that as the typical Chinese poem had four verses and each verse contained seven characters. So if you chose to read it from the first character, then the first verse stopped at the first 7. And if you chose to read it from the second character, then the first verse stopped at the second 1. and so on.  

Compound Words Are Clearer (10)

Today, we describes colours by so many names that no one knows them unless with colour card, such as Soft satin, Casa talec, Grenache, Celine etc. The Chinese colour names get benefit of put a familiar colour at the back as Soft satin pink. It could be better but still not always correctly describe the colour. I have designed a nomenclature, it may solve this issue.  

First of all, we separate the colour in to seven standard colours. As each Chinese colour use one sound, so we chose them for example. Then we divide the range between every two colours into ten parts. We put a number in front of the colour, for instance 3red, means between red and orange, the colour is third from red. (The order is red红 orange橙 yellow黄 green绿 blue蓝 violet紫 but in Chinese there is an extra colour青qing, it look like light blue.) Then we put another number in the back to indicate the rate of black and white, as 3red4, means from the black and white axis we measured 4. Then 2blue7, means from blue to violet, we measured 2 and from the black white axis we measured 7. The 7 colours are divided into 70 parts; with the 10 black and white it makes the total colour space divide by 700 different names, clearer than the Photoshop 256 colours. If in the future, it still want clearer, then we may use 31green 68.

We have said that the Chinese vocabulary is normally find out a neutral character such as the 笑，心etc. then put plenty adjective characters to qualify it. It is the basic idea of semantic language. Later we will discuss that the Aristotle invent the semantic language might be getting the inspiration from ancient pictogram of Egyptian.

Compound Words Are Clearer (9)

From the linguistic law, we know that individual word is in fact for reduce the number of sounds SCAVs in speaking, while the compound word is easy for learning (memory). Their meaning is the same. But sometimes, individual word cause big trouble. The example is animal names. We know the male-pig is boar, male-sheep is ram, male horse is stallion, male-deer is stag, male-duck is drake etc. if every animal name is designed like that, then we have to learn four time names than the animal species. For we have to learn each animal’s young, male and female. If the world has ten thousand species of animal, then we have to learn forty thousand words for them. Finally the English word designer tired of such ‘invention’, they use some familiar name of male animal to present a group of animal species. And this design can make mistake. For instance there are at least 37 animals’ young, female and male are using calf, cow and bull. Just think about if they are compound words just like Chinese language, it will be no problem:

The most unreasonable words could be the male termite and rat, their bodies are far from bull. There are also heaps animal using boar for its male sow for female. It tell us that individual word is going to an end, only compound word can do good job. By this reason, we may say the English dictionary will be hard to edit, for how you explain the entry of ‘bull’, at least you have to put on these 37 animals. But in the Chinese language, there are no such entry, they don’t need them, when you want express the idea of a certain animal’s male, just put a character in front of this animal that is enough. You don’t need to remember animal’s male or female and you know them very well. Not only this, you may noticed in above table, that the different with alligator and crocodile the former is 短吻鳄 short-proboscis-crocodile, that is to say with an adjective one can distinguish them better than design two words. Other examples are giraffe 长颈鹿 long-neck-deer and hippopotamus 河马 river-horse.  That is what I have said: a good language has to enable its speaker learning less knowing more.

Compound Words Are Clearer (8)

Few days ago, I bring my mother to a hospital at the reception, I found such a picture:

Although what they said WHITE means black, but everybody know it very well. That means to say, within a certain scope, even if you make some mistake, people will know it very well. In fact when we speak words one by one, it is narrowing the scope in your mind step by step and finally a whole sentence lead your mind to a certain location and it will make no mistake with other sentences. Now let’s think about the Abbreviation. It using the same process as sentence, that by the first letter, it divided the whole knowledge in your mind to 1/26 parts, like the dictionary that you look for a certain letter. Then the second letter from the abbreviation bring your mind to a 1/26x26=1/676 parts and so on. When the world’s information explosion started, the abbreviation was in trouble. Have a look at the following, table 21:

Yet the information explosion doesn’t affect the Chinese character too much, for the normal 3000 characters divided the whole knowledge that in an individual’s mind 1/3,000, and the second character divided it 1/3,000x3,000=1/9,000,000.

Compound Words Are Clearer (7)

The word 自己means self, since they are two characters, we can split them and let each of them to represent the meaning of self. Last time we have many examples for 己 represent the meaning of ‘self’. This time we have some example of 自 to represent the meaning of self.

For two character’s words, we have自家 self-family, 自身self -system,自白self-recognise or confession, 自满self-satisfied or,自主 self-decided or autonomous,     自保 self-protect,       自此 from now,  自豪 pride or glory. The rest you may check the internet dictionary yourself.

 自理, 自私, 自幼, 自身, 自卑,  自检,  自立, 自述, 自愿, 自助, 自得, 自觉,

自律,  自我, 自闭, 自荐, 自恋, 自责, 自便, 自居, 自学, 自尊, 自动,  自悲,

自负, 自尽,  自勉, 自行, 自重, 自大, 自称, 自费, 自今, 自强, 自信, 自爱, 自从, 自习

自傲, 自嘲,  自古, 自夸, 自由, 自诩, 自馁, 自谦, 自觉, 自疚, 自学, 自从, 自然

For four characters words, we have自言自语 self speaks and self talks, 自斟自酌 self-fills the cup and self drinks，自娱自乐self perform and self enjoy it，自生自灭 self alive and self died means no one care about you. The rest you may check the internet dictionary yourself.

自圆其说, 自惭形秽。自强不息。自重自尊, 自古以来, 自不待言, 自生自灭, 放任自流, etc.
For further study see: http://www.jinglingshequ.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=7645

Now let’s have a look of the Character己it can create words like：For two character’s words, we have知己understand-self mean best friend, 己方 self-side, 体己 feel-self mean someone who know your everyday life very well normally mean lover, 己见 self-opinion, 己任 self-duty, 异己 one that not in self-side, 克己hold on self, 罪己诏self-blame paper; in ancient China, no one can blame the emperor, yet what if he make mistake? In this case he would blame himself in an official document.

For four characters words, we have先人后己 people-first-self-second, 舍己为人 give-up-oneself-to-save-other 不以己悲not sad for poor and lonely,  知己知彼understand yourself and your enemy, 亦人亦己 for other and self 推己及人。己所不欲(+勿施于人) Don't do unto others what you don't want others do unto you正人先正己（He is not fit to command others that cannot command himself

. Or sweep before one's own door），士死知己 if someone feel grateful to you, he will died for you，心不由己 something you will but don’t have the power or ability, 消除异己 killing all those not in your-side.

For further study see: http://xh.5156edu.com/ciyu/z5638m3618j5216.html

Compound Words Are Clearer (6)

By compound words, there are plenty expressions turn to be easier. In the following example, take care about the character 国.

China=中国，America=美国，India=印度，Europe=欧洲，Japan=日本，Korean=韩国，

When they say Sino-America, instead 中国-美国，they say 中美. Likewise the Sino-India is 中印，Sino-Korean is 中韩etc. 

Son=儿子, daughter=闺女, son and daughter is 儿女.

Sometimes, they doubled the same meaning with different characters to make emphasis.  For instance如胶似漆、as glue as lacquer (mean good relationship, normally described between male and female) 如狼似虎 as wolf as tiger (mean cruel) 、如花似玉 as flower as jade (expression for good looking girl) 、如饥似渴 as hungry as thirsty、

生死存亡 live or died exist or disappear, 贫富贵贱 poor and rich noble and humble，

The character of 公 means for the people or for the public, while the antonyms character 私 means private (self or selfish). They can combine many words as公私分明make the public and private clearly，公私兼顾 care about public and care about private also，损公肥私damage public to benefit self，大公无私 devote all to public but never think about self，先公后私 public first, self second 先私后公 self first, public second etc. The character 人 means people, character 己means self. Then compare the following three words损人利己, harm people to benefit self, 损人不利己, harm people not benefit self, 利人利己 benefit people, benefit self.

弱肉强食the weaker is meat and stronger is eater，it roughly means ‘jungle justice’尔虞我诈, what you worry, what I cheat, (deceive each other) 

Compound Words Are Clearer (5-7)

Many single English words, translated into Chinese splitting into few words such as:

Doctor (medicine) 医生 curing-man. Doctor (philosophy) 博士erudite-man. Master (degree) 硕士 abundant-man. Master (lord) 主人. Master (teacher) 师傅teaching-instructor. Bachelor (single) 单身unmarried-person. Bachelor (degree) 学士learning-man.

Comparing the following words, you may find out the meaning of Chinese characters

热hot，热量heat，重heavy，重量weight，高high，高度height，

树篱hedge，木篱timber fence，竹篱bamboo fence，铁篱 steel fence，

街门gate，院门gate of yard，校门gate of school，厂门gate of factory，房门door of house，屋门door of room，厕所门door of toilet，店门door of shop，后门 back door，前门front door，边门side door，安全门safety door.

Pay attention to character 菜，白菜Chinese cabbage，小白菜pakchoi，圆白菜cabbage，芹菜celery，韭菜chive，菠菜spinach，生菜lettuce，苋菜amaranth，咸菜pickles，鲜菜vegetable，发菜hair weeds，空心菜water spinach，蕨菜bracken，紫菜laver，油菜rape，香菜coriander，粤菜Cantonese cuisine，川菜Sichuan cuisine，湘菜Hunan cuisine，鲁菜Shandong cuisine，卤菜braised food，芥菜mustard，鹿角菜carrageen，海白菜sea cabbage，法式菜French dish，法国菜 French cuisine, 意式菜Italian dish, 意大利菜Italian cuisine, etc.

笑means laugh and 微笑is smile. About smile and laugh there are too much, I could not translate them one by one. You may check each of them at: http://www.iciba.com/

They are:

微笑，嘲笑，可笑，奸笑，大笑，淫笑，阴笑，狞笑，冷笑，嬉笑，窃笑，玩笑, 苦笑，欢笑， 好笑，说笑，谈笑，耻笑，取笑，嬉笑，讥笑，含笑，哄笑，发笑，笑话，嗤笑，讪笑，欢笑，哄笑，傻笑，冷笑，窃笑，逗笑，狂笑，嘻笑，调笑，憨笑，奸笑，卖笑， 暗笑，干笑，赔笑，媚笑，见笑，言笑，怪笑，狞笑，轰笑，失笑，痴笑，非笑，诡笑，堆笑，惨笑，哗笑，谄笑，阴笑，遗笑，贻笑，哑笑，谑笑，喧笑，欣笑，傻笑，狎笑，侮笑，耍笑

and

笑傲，笑颜，笑语，笑纳，笑料，笑靥，笑骂，笑面，笑闹，笑剧，笑口，笑貌，笑谑，笑话 笑柄，笑纳，笑容，笑颜，笑脸，笑声，笑场，笑谈，

From this you may understand the Chinese vocabulary is normally find out a neutral character such as the 笑，then put plenty adjective characters to qualify it. 

Compound Words Are Clearer (5-6)

In Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pasta there are hundreds names of pasta. I don’t think anyone would know all of them. But when you translate into Chinese, everyone will know them very well. Because the last character of those words must be面 (noodle). When you read this you know it is a sort of noodle.

In front of the character 面 should be some adjectives to qualify the shape or colour of it. For instance:

Fusilli bucati can be translated as: 空心卷管面 (Long coiled tubes that are hollow) ：

Casarecce as: 短S面 (Short lengths rolled into a S shape):

Mandala: 八卦面

Capunti: 豆荚面 (Short convex ovals resembling an open empty pea pod):

Quadrettini: 方块面 (Small flat squares of pasta)

Compound words don’t require you to describe the meaning exactly. They are in fact pick up few words from your mind vocabulary, and by their combination pull your mind closer to the real meaning than rest words or compound words among this vocabulary. On the contrary, the current individual word is explained in dictionary as clear as they can and put a label (writing shape) on this explanation. Whenever you meet this word, you have to find out the explanation in your memory. I have to say, it is but a supposition, for no one can remember all of these explanations, all of them can remembered but few key words of that explanation. In this point, there is no different with a compound word. The only difference of compound word and individual word is the former using the same writing shape while the later using different writing shape with explanation, and it causes endless learning.

Compound Words Are Clearer (5-5)

Above, we have talked about the name or title. With them we can put on number for instance first brother, second brother…sixth brother …eleventh brother etc. As ancient Chinese may have few wives, the children born by first wife was called 嫡出 born by other wife was called 庶出. In western world, no such trouble, we just use person’s name directly.

Chinese surnames are around 500. In old days, children start to learn them in mind at 4 years of age. As it was designed like a poem, by the help of rhyme it is not very difficult to learn, they are:

趙錢孫李，周吳鄭王，馮陳褚衛，蔣沈韓楊，朱秦尤許，何呂施張，孔曹嚴華，金魏陶姜，戚謝鄒喻，柏水竇章，雲蘇潘葛，奚范彭郎，魯韋昌馬，苗鳳花方，俞任袁柳，酆鮑史唐，魯韋昌馬，苗鳳花方，俞任袁柳，酆鮑史唐，費廉岑薛，雷賀倪湯，滕殷羅畢，郝鄔安常，樂于時傅，皮卞齊康，伍余元卜，顧孟平黃，和穆蕭尹，姚邵湛汪，祁毛禹狄，米貝明臧，計伏成戴，談宋茅龐，熊紀舒屈，項祝董梁，杜阮藍閔，席季麻強，賈路婁危，江童顏郭，梅盛林刁，鍾徐邱駱，高夏蔡田，樊胡凌霍，虞萬支柯，昝管盧莫，經房裘繆，干解應宗，丁宣賁鄧，郁單杭洪，包諸左石，崔吉鈕龔，程嵇邢滑，裴陸榮翁，荀羊於惠，甄麴家封，芮羿儲靳，汲邴糜松，井段富巫，烏焦巴弓，牧隗山谷，車侯宓蓬，全郗班仰，秋仲伊宮，甯仇欒暴，甘鈄厲戎，祖武符劉，景詹束龍，葉幸司韶，郜黎薊薄，印宿白懷，蒲邰從鄂，索咸籍賴，卓藺屠蒙，池喬陰鬱，胥能蒼雙，聞莘黨翟，譚貢勞逄，姬申扶堵，冉宰酈雍，郤璩桑桂，濮牛壽通，邊扈燕冀，郟浦尚農，溫別莊晏，柴瞿閻充，慕連茹習，宦艾魚容，向古易慎，戈廖庾終，暨居衡步，都耿滿弘，匡國文寇，廣祿闕東，歐殳沃利，蔚越夔隆，師鞏厙聶，晁勾敖融，冷訾辛闞，那簡饒空，曾毋沙乜，養鞠須豐，巢關蒯相，查后荊紅，游竺權逯，蓋益桓公，万俟司馬，上官歐陽，夏侯諸葛，聞人東方，赫連皇甫，尉遲公羊，澹臺公冶，宗政濮陽，淳于單于，太叔申屠，公孫仲孫，軒轅令狐，鍾離宇文，長孫慕容，鮮于閭丘，司徒司空，亓官司寇，仉督子車，顓孫端木，巫馬公西，漆雕樂正，壤駟公良，拓跋夾谷，宰父穀梁，晉楚閆法，汝鄢涂欽，段干百里，東郭南門，呼延歸海，羊舌微生，岳帥緱亢，況後有琴，梁丘左丘，東門西門，商牟佘佴，伯賞南宮，墨哈譙笪，年愛陽佟。

It was designed in Song Dynasty, so the first surname was the emperor’s surname at that time, and followed by the nobleman’s. We have said the normal Chinese characters are around 3,000, half of the characters that used as surname are among the 3,000 normal characters.

The Chinese name normally has three characters. The first one is surname. Some tradition family use the second character for generation. Generation usually is a verse. For instance my family’s verse is: 至诚意修身本 my generation is诚Cheng, my son’s generation should be 意yi. The third character is randomly.

So with 500 surnames and two characters the Chinese people can make 500x3,000x3,000=4500000000 names. It is greater than the current 1.3 billion population. But as people prefer some good meaning of certain combinations, so there are plenty duplicate names now.