Jēdziens sjao sji 消息 (samazināšanās un pieaugšana) ķīniešu klasiskajā filozofijā un tradicionālajā literatūrā

Abstract

The semantic diversity and versatility of Chinese lexis are well-known in the world. It is determined both by historical territorial factors (the long history of the cultural development, the vast territory of the country, and the large population) and by specific factors of the language development (the relatively constant form of the Chinese writing system, the monosyllabic and isolating language structure, etc.). Many Chinese characters, which previously existed as separate semantic units, are no longer used independently; they have merged into polysyllabic words. The article’s main aim is to discover multi-layered meanings and the historical development of the Chinese philosophical concept xiao xi 消息. The article traces origins and changes in the meaning of the word and is based on an etymological and semantic approach from a historical perspective. The development of the concept in classical writings, philosophical treatises, traditional prose and poetry in historical terms clearly illustrates the peculiarities of the etymology and semantics of Chinese lexis and reveals the formation of the Chinese mentality. Conclusions show that in the Chinese language, the concept of xiao xi is associated with quite different aspects and symbols than in Latvian and other Indo-European languages. It does not indicate something completely new, does not relate to knowledge or statements, nor is it a reproduced foreign word associated with the meaning of ‘information’ (from the Latin informatio). The concept was originally very symbolic, pointing to the movement of opposite forces in nature and human life. In modern Chinese, the word xiao xi is generally known by only one meaning ‘news’. It is no longer used as a verb and has no philosophical or cosmological connotations. This fact shows that the language has changed a lot, but it also allows us to make an assumption that nowadays, the way people think has become more pragmatic, and the language expression has lost its former imagery and depth.