Early Stages:
* Oracle Bone Script (1600-1046 BC): These were inscriptions on animal bones and turtle shells used for divination. The characters were angular and quite stylized.
* Bronze Script (1046-256 BC): Inscribed on bronze vessels, these characters were more rounded and elaborate.
Classical Era:
* Seal Script (256 BC-220 AD): This formal script featured simplified characters with clear strokes and structure. It was used primarily for official documents.
* Clerical Script (220-589 AD): This script was more cursive and fluid, used for everyday writing. It influenced the development of later scripts.
Modern Era:
* Regular Script (楷书 kāishū): This is the most common script used today for general writing and printing. It is considered the standard form of Chinese characters.
* Running Script (行书 xíngshū): This cursive script is faster to write and is used for personal notes and letters.
* Cursive Script (草书 cǎoshū): This highly abbreviated script is extremely difficult to learn and is primarily used for calligraphy and artistic purposes.
Visual Characteristics:
* Logographic: Chinese characters represent words or concepts, rather than sounds.
* Pictographic Origins: Many characters evolved from simple pictograms, though many have become abstract over time.
* Stroke Order: There are specific rules for writing each character, and this is a crucial part of learning Chinese.
Example:
Imagine a character for "sun." In oracle bone script, it might look like a simple circle with a dot. Over time, it evolved into more complex forms in bronze script, seal script, and finally into the regular script we see today.
Key Point:
Chinese writing is not a linear alphabet but a system of ideograms, making it a very visually rich and complex system. To truly understand the beauty and complexity of Chinese writing, it's important to study the evolution of the script and the diverse styles that have emerged over time.