Abstract Based on a discussion of the differences between Chinese characters and Western words ,this paper challenges the current theories of″C hinese Characters—A Pictography″and″Image of Chinese Language″a nd presents the reasons whyChinese thinking patterns aredifferent from western ones .The paper first points out that the markedness identification ,number and rules of Chinese font are in agreement with its thinking pattern .More than 300 general-purpose Chinese indexing components constructs a structural system of Chinese pictophonetic characters which not only differs from any other language in the world ,but also shows its integral , empirical and stable features of Chinese thinking pattern in its overall positioning of the world .Concerning the smallest unit of Chinese language—font , the economic cost involved in the acquisition and application of characters should be elevated to the cognitive functionof theprecision andintensityof thinkingpattern .The meaninglessphonemiclettersand meaningful Chinese characters ,theinfinitenessof wordformation of Chinese Pinyinandlimitedcommon Chinese characters compose vital differences between Chinese and western thinking patterns .
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Received: 18 December 2009
Published: 31 March 2010
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