Etymological Analysis Model of the Chinese Hieroglyph: an Experiment

The paper presents a gradual model of etymological analysis of the Chinese hieroglyph. The research was based on the game approach logic expressed in the combination of Russian and Chinese linguistic analysis of Chinese characters. The established rules include verification of the graphic paradigm according to the stages of Chinese writing development. In addition, the rules involve grammatological, structural, semantic, and ideosemantic analyses. Individual research strategy included selection of linguistic, historical, and cultural sources for verification of the graphic-semantic characteristics of the Chinese character. The author applied a combination and sequence of research approaches and introduced an authentic analysis terminology. The authentic terminology was supported by analogies from Russian linguistics, as well as by the experience of etymologization of the character in Chinese philological science. The paper features a model of etymological analysis of the Chinese character. It consists of several stages/types of etymological reconstructions: formal-graphic,grammatical or structural, and semantic (including ideosemantic).The created etymological model was tested on the example of etymologization of the Chinese hieroglyph "cart" 車 che / ju. Its paradigm was verified according to its graphic variants, which belonged to the early stages of ancient Chinese writing, namely jinwen, jiaguwen, and zhuanti. The author determined the graphic-semantic core of the character. Its graphic sensemaking form was systematically analyzed on the basis of verification of its graphic and semantic characteristics. Finally, the author conducted a semantic and ideosemantic analysis of the character, which included historical and archeological data on Chinese material culture. As a result, the study helped to define the etymological meaning of the character.