MINIMAL SEMANTIC EDINIZ OF IDEOGRAFIC WRITING // Bulletin of BSU. Language. Literature. Culture. - 2018. №2. . - С. 77-80.

MINIMAL SEMANTIC EDINIZ OF IDEOGRAFIC WRITING

UDK: 811.58’32

The article considers the question of minimal semantic units of ideographic writing being the earliest semantic signs — graphomonades. Identification of these signs is derived with the help of grammatology analysis. Graphomonade is defined as a cognitive semantic discrete unit of writing system. It is described as having modus valence that generates plenty of other signs. It takes a specific position in hierarchy of Chinese writing system’s units: grapheme — graphomonade — morphograme and logograme. The list of forty-two emphasized graphomonades is represented in the article. The primacy, inseparability, pic- tography and semantic creativity (ability to jenerate new signs of ideographic writing) are considered to be their basic criteria. Grafomonades are universal signs as well as construction material for other ideographic signs.

ideographic writing; Chinese writing; minimal semantic units; graphomonade.