西夏文的意符與聲符及其衍生過程

RADICALS AND PHONETICS IN THE TANGUT SCRIPT AND THEIR GENERATIVE PROCESSES

西夏文是記錄西夏語的文字，模仿漢字結構制成，頒行於西夏大慶元年（公元1036年）。西夏語是我國古代黨項羌的語言，屬於漢藏語族、藏緬語系。西夏語在語言上既與漢語同源，其文字又仿漢字製成，研究西夏文字的結構，並與漢字比較，自有其意義與價值。

This paper examines the results of earlier studies of radicals in the Tangut script and concludes that they have failed to grasp the special characteristics of this particular writing system. The meanings which have been ascribed to radicals are shown to be only parts of the multiple meanings of radicals and are not always their primary meanings. It is demonstrated that a graphic element, when serving as a radical, generally carries various, apparently unrelated meanings and the same graphic element, when serving as a phonetic, always represents various, apparently unrelated sounds. A model of generative processes of Tangut characters is constructed with the view of explaining this phenomenon.