Basic Information
Summary
Topic: What is the appropriate terminology for the form of kanji: “jitai,” “jikei, or “shotai”?
Presenter: Yang Huijing (Kyoto University, PhD Candidate)
Language: Japanese
Host
Funded Research Project: “Towards a New Generation of East Asian Classical Studies via International Collaboration: From the Realm of Writing’s Frontier”
Reports
On the day of the event, Yang Huijing, a PhD candidate from Kyoto University, presented on the subject of “What is the appropriate terminology for the form of a kanji: ‘jitai,’ ‘jikei,’ or ‘shotai’?” Around ten gathered for the session.
Ms. Yang first examined the nomenclature for the form of a kanji, namely “jitai,” “jikei,” and “shotai,” by reviewing the definitions found in dictionaries from across East Asia and dictionaries compiled by academic associations, she then introduced the findings of modern scholars. Based on this research, she discussed her own thinking on the matter. Then, she shared her thoughts on the “jitai standards” and the “shotai standards” in Japan. Finally, as a future research direction, she proposed investigating the historical development of the three terms as seen in literary Sinitic texts.
The following discussion began with remarks on the materials used for writing and what is being written about, and how characters function as information was also discussed. Additionally, there was a discussion on the study of non-standard characters (zokuji) from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as on “jikei” and “jitai” in excavated texts.
We would like to express our most sincere gratitude to Ms. Yang Huijing, who provided the topic for discussion, to the professors who provided guidance, and to those who helped to stimulate the discussions.
Written by Qiu Siyuan, PhD Candidate, Kyoto University.
