Study of the Distribution and Modification of Writing in Proto-Chinese Language Communities: Correct Identification of Hieroglyphic Signs in the Jiaguwen Inscriptions

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), RU-117198, Moscow, Russia

^* Corresponding author: Mey1@list.ru

Published online: 26 April 2021

Abstract

The Chinese language uses the ideographic writing. The outer form of Chinese characters in 3rd century ВС and later underwent strong changes, which were caused mainly by change in the technique of writing. In the first century AD the writing style that has survived to the present time. We recall some of main results of the spread and change of linguistic information in certain Chinese community obtained with the help of a dynamic nonlinear model. Undoubtedly, Oracle script writings Jiaguwen (甲骨文) played an important role in this process. We consider it quite legitimate to discuss rather about the written language of the Chinese language, as main link between ancient Chinese, Middle Chinese, and modern Chinese languages Putonghua. In the study of the oldest examples of art, culture and science, for example, such as Jiaguwen, there is a need to study ancient hieroglyphs depicted on the surface of a tortoise shell, copper vessel or stone. New method for correct solving of an inverse problem for pattern recognition is presented. Our method is based on photometry of the studied surface. The obtained data are digitally processed in order to determine the characteristics and parameters characterizing the properties of the investigated surface. The possibilities and limitations of the method, as well as the mathematical model of the groove in the optical range, are given. The main attention is paid to the development of methods for more accurate calculation of the number of solitary grooves and structural elements such as hieroglyphs or ancient Chinese radicals (部首 / bùshǒu). This task is part of the complex inverse problem of pattern recognition, namely: identification of various structural elements, for example, ancient hieroglyphs depicted on the surface of a tortoise shell. To solve this important problem, two main methods were proposed, which are based on the study of both the initial photometric data and the study of their Fourier spectra. The first method allows you to visually identify the location of the characters along the photometric line and determine their approximate number. The second method allows us to get a stable and unambiguous solution to this problem: to determine accurately the number of characters on the photometric line.