Stop killing my native language.

[elwen]

This is the simplified Chinese character for "horse"? WTF?!

马

...I guess that's reason #63014 to hate simplified Chinese. x_x;;

For reference, this is the non-simplified character: 馬.

Comments

[toriru4ever.livejournal.com]

hehe it looks like fewer strokes than the original kanji :D

[ctrl-a.livejournal.com]

Uh, yes, that's the point. ^^;;

My problem with it is that those strokes have meaning, and they fit together logically. Once you start simplifying the hell out of them, it becomes even more a matter of sheer memorization. Plus, since Japanese doesn't use simplified characters (most of the time), skills are no longer transferrable between the two languages.

Two examples:

1. In simplified Chinese, the characters for "face" and "noodles" are now the same, even though they were once different -- with the character for "noodles" containing the character for "face" to indicate that they had the same pronunciation, but being different to indicate . . . that they were different.

2. The simplified character for "love" no longer contains the radical for "heart", which is what previously tipped people off that the character had something to do with emotions. So much for contextual clues.

I've been having this argument with my Chinese (as opposed to Taiwanese, since Taiwan doesn't use simplified) friends for a long time. It's mostly pointless because if 1/5 of the world is going to adopt it, there's nothing I can do but grumble.

It's somewhat similar to my issues with simplified spelling (http://www.optimnem.co.uk/blog/2007/05/simplified-spelling-is-bad-eyedihr.html) in English.

[toriru4ever.livejournal.com]

i hate kanji that look the same!!
but I agree that new system has potential to suck plus who wants to learn new characters when you've already learned the old ones (if it ain't broke don't fix neee :D)

[ctrl-a.livejournal.com]

Well, any new system is going to have a transition period where people who grew up with the old version have to re-learn some stuff. But nowadays this is what they're teaching kids in China, AFAIK. And in their opinion, it is broke... because writing Chinese is ha~~~rd. Oh noes. -_-;;

But, y'know, if instead of comparing it to simplified spelling, you compared it to, say, using internet abbreviations (u, gr8, etc.), I bet there would be a lot more people on the other side. Something about the natural evolution of language and such...

[toriaezu.livejournal.com]

The ones I personally can't stand are "车" and "东" (車 and 東 respectively). I just can't get the hang of them in simplified.

[ctrl-a.livejournal.com]

Gah! WTF! x_x

Y'know, I've never confused those two characters before, but I feel like I would in simplified.

I don't know very many simplified characters, so there are probably plenty more egregious examples out there. I just saw 马 in a comment on japanese and had to comment.

biiida

[nendil.livejournal.com]

Hey.

Hey. Screw you.

[musicsword.livejournal.com]

It annoys me how simplified makes my last name look dumb

Re: biiida

[ctrl-a.livejournal.com]

Uh huh, uh huh, whatever. Unless you buy simplified spelling (http://www.optimnem.co.uk/blog/2007/05/simplified-spelling-is-bad-eyedihr.html), I don't see why I should buy simplified Chinese. XP

And why do neither of us have appropriate icons for this?

Re: biiida

[nendil.livejournal.com]

You can use the OBJECTION icon.

马 looks enough like a horse(head) to me. What do you object to, the lack of four "feet"? Then why does 鳥 have four dots?

Re: biiida

[ctrl-a.livejournal.com]

Actually, my first reaction was that it looks too much like 弓.

After that it's just me being old and crotchety and resistant to change. It just looks so weird and not-Chinese.

Re: biiida

[nendil.livejournal.com]

JOIN THE REVOLUTION COMRADE

You're right, I need an appropriate icon. A COMMUNISTASTIC icon. Of the people.

[toriaezu.livejournal.com]

Oh, I always confuse those two in simplified. >_< I also get confused with simplified love (爱) and think it's 受ける...

One of my favourites is one I like to call "the arrow":
个 (simplified for 個) :D

I think 马 is pretty easy to recognise as 馬, compared to some of the simplified characters out there.

[elvaron.livejournal.com]

But it makes it so much easier to write >> Not to mention that when I try writing fan ti my handwriting gets so cramped it becomes impossible to read. D:

Re: biiida

[ctrl-a.livejournal.com]

I would use the "Simplified: words without heart." graphic from the Facebook group, but that's a little too specific, and I doubt I'd ever use it again.

[ling84.livejournal.com]

Makes me sad how simplified vs traditional can turn into a political argument instead of, well, a linguistic one.

If you want a poster child for recognition problems, look up "sanitary" or wei4 sheng1. It's so different it's scary.

A friend of mine did say that simplified characters are easier to confuse, especially when they're off by a dot but have vastly different meanings. As for me, I like traditional better because they're prettier. There's a reason all calligraphy is still done in traditional. :)