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... Other simplified characters were borrowed from the "grassy script" (chinese calligraphy that looks like messy brush strokes) whose main artistic theme is to make characters as unrecognizable as possible but leaving just enough properties so observers can still read the script (i guess much like impressionist art or some sort of abstract art). ... So, for millennia, traditional characters where the standard script and simplified characters existed as the need required. ... During the last dynasties, Manchurians ruled china and disallowed the Han chinese to study anything but literature and linguistics. So, these intellectuals studied chinese and made sure the language including the characters was standardized and as systematic as possible. So, for the last couple hundred years, the traditional script is stamped complete and functional as any language can possibly be for the times.
However during the 19th century, the chinese went through an identity crisis and under the umbrella of reform, many language reforms were suggested that made education more suitable for the masses. ... When Republicans ended the last dynasty (1911) and took power, traditional characters were still the standard script but standardized the modern grammar making ideas straightforward to express. At the end of WW2 and the civil war, Communists forced the Republicans to Taiwan and made simplified characters the standard script, introduced even more simplified characters (these are typically the ones that look mutilated) and abolished traditional characters. ... In Taiwan, the traditional script was kept the standard for books and documents and simplified characters may be used as needed for personal use only. ... Mainland Chinese see simplified characters as “new” script (新體) and traditional characters as “old” script (舊體). Taiwan/HK Chinese view traditional characters are “standard” script (正體) and simplified characters as “freehand” script (俗體).
As one Japanese historian commented on japanese language reform: Criticism of the complexities of kanji (traditional Chinese characters) was not based on a thorough study of the principles underlying the writing system, but merely an idle complaint stemming from laziness and an irresponsible desire for easy solutions.
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Actually, around 70% of chinese characters may be considered "phonetic complexes (形聲)", so when simplification of characters were performed according to the then modern mandarin pronunciation, phonetic complexes that worked in other dialects were lost.
Approximate Word count = 1777
Approximate Pages = 7.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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