Chữ Hán
| Chữ Hán Chữ Nho | |
|---|---|
 Chữ Hán and chữ Nho written in chữ Nôm, with chữ Quốc ngữ on the right. | |
| Script type | |
Time period | 3rd century BC – 20th century AD, present (limited usage) |
| Direction | Top-to-bottom, columns from right to left (traditional) |
| Languages | Literary Chinese, Vietnamese (written in chữ Nôm) |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
Child systems | Chữ Nôm |
Sister systems | Kanji, Hanja, Zhuyin, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Khitan script, Jurchen script, Tangut script, Yi script |
Chữ Hán, meaning 'Han characters' in Vietnamese, refers to Chinese characters used in Vietnam. They were employed for writing Literary Chinese (Hán văn) and Sino-Vietnamese words in the Vietnamese language. Vietnam started using Chữ Hán during the Han dynasty's rule over the Red River Delta region, persisting until the early 20th century (111 BC – 1919 AD). However, as Literary Chinese lost its prominence with the end of Confucian court examinations, Chữ Hán gradually faded from use.[1][2]
Other names
[change | change source]In Vietnamese, Chinese characters are commonly called chữ Hán, but there are other terms like chữ Nho ("Confucian characters") or Hán tự (漢字). Classical Chinese is referred to as Hán văn, while Văn ngôn is used for Literary Chinese.[3]
Usage today
[change | change source]
Nowadays, Chinese characters are mostly found in temples and old buildings in Vietnam. Chữ Hán is no longer widely used and is associated with cultural traditions. During Vietnamese festivals, calligraphers, known as ông đồ, write couplets in Chinese characters to convey wishes for prosperity and longevity.[4] This cultural practice is reflected in the poem "Ông đồ" by Vũ Đình Liên, which laments the declining appreciation for Vietnamese calligraphy during Tết.[4]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Handel, Zev (2019). Sinography: the borrowing and adaptation of the Chinese script. Language, writing and literary culture in the Sinographic Cosmopolis. Leiden Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-38632-7.
- ↑ Cu̓ò̓ng, Nguyễ˜n Tuấn (September 2019). "Research of square scripts in Vietnam: An overview and prospects". Journal of Chinese Writing Systems (in Chinese). 3 (3): 189–198. doi:10.1177/2513850219861167. ISSN 2513-8502.
- ↑ Li, Hanke (2022). "The Construction of National Identity from the Perspective of the Change of Chinese Status in Vietnamese Language Policy". pp. 175–176. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 MEDIATECH. "Đến với bài thơ hay "Ông đồ" của Vũ Đình Liên". baohungyen.vn (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2023-12-20.