The logic behind simplificationAs defined in the PRC, characters were simplified according to nine principles:
1. Retaining an outline of the original shape, e.g., 龟for 龜(gui, "tortoise; turtle") and 虑for 慮(lu, "consider").
2. Adopting a partial feature of the original character and leaving out the rest, e.g., 声for 聲(sheng, "sound") and 医for 醫(yi, "medical doctor").
3. Replacing a component on one side of a character with a simpler component with fewer strokes, e.g., 拥for 擁(yong, "embrace") and 战for 戰(zhan, "war").
4. Replacing a phonetic component with a simpler one, e.g., 惊for 驚(jing, "surprise, alarm") and 护for 護(hu, "guard").
5. Merging two characters into one, e.g., using 里(li, "village"; "Chinese mile") for 裏(li, "inside") as well as 里, and 余(yu, "I, me") for 餘(yu, "surplus") as well as 余.
6. Adopting stroke patterns based on the cursive style of calligraphy, e.g., 专for 專(zhuan, "special"), 东for 東(dong, "east"), 车for 車(che, "wheeled vehicle") and 转for 轉(zhuan, "turn, rotate").
7. Adopting a character's ancient form or a self-explanatory character or associative compound (ideographic character), e.g., 众for 眾(zhong, "crowd"), 从for 從(cong, "follow") and 网(wang, "net") for 網. These ancient-form characters are simpler in graphic structure and accord with the principles of character creation. It is thought that in ancient times they were replaced by more complex forms to give them a more attractive appearance.
8. Replacing a complex components on one side of a character with a simpler symbol, e.g., 鸡for 雞(ji, "chicken"), 欢for 歡(huan, "happy") and 难for 難(nan, "difficult"). In all three cases, the left-hand component has been replaced by 又.
9. Adopting ancient characters, e.g., 圣for 聖(sheng, "holy"), 礼for 禮(li, ceremony"), 无for 無(wu, "without"; "nothingness"), and 尘for 塵(chen, "dust").
Since the launch of China's reform policy in 1978, people worldwide have become increasingly familiar with simplified characters. To boost confidence in simplified characters, the Chinese government recently invited famous centenarian linguist Zhou Youguang to utter the following endorsement: "The popularity of simplified characters demonstrates that simplification was a step in the right direction and has won the approval of most people around the world." In addition, because modern people are forever seeking speed and simplicity, simplified characters seem at first blush to meet the needs of the times. But leaving aside political considerations, from a purely cultural perspective simplified characters have their limitations.
Many pictographs represent animals. The pictograph lu, meaning deer, shown above, developed from depiction such as those at right, of a deer with a dignified bearing and big, inquisitive eyes.