Chinese "kanji"

[Dennis R. Preston]

In my experience, "kanji" seems to be
better-known among the general public for
"Japanese characters" that "Hanzi" is for
"Chinese characters." That may indeed lead to the
backwards development described here; as yet, I
have not encountered it either.

dInIs

>The Mandarin Chinese word for the Chinese characters is Hanzi (first
>syllable [xan], second syllable syllabic [dz], falling tone on each
>syllable).  Kanji is a Japanese word, denoting the Japanese orthography
>that's closest to Chinese characters.  I guess I can see some logic to
>applying it to the Chinese characters that kanji was derived from, even
>though it's a kind of backwards logic.  If "kanji" is becoming the general
>American term for Chinese characters, it's a trend I've missed completely.
>
>Peter Mc.
>
>--On Wednesday, October 05, 2005 7:21 PM -0400 Gadi Niram
><gadi at MANIAGRID.COM> wrote:
>
>>I've occasionally heard people use the Japanese word "kanji" when
>>referring to Chinese characters used to write Chinese.  Bryan Preston's
>>review of the movie _Serenity_ is the first time I've come across it in
>>written form.
>>
>>http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/preston200510050823.asp
>>
>>"Though the film never spells it out explicitly, it’s clear from the kanji
>>characters on viewscreens and in advertisements everywhere that at some
>>point China surpassed the United States on the way to dominating the
>>Alliance"
>>
>>It's also interesting that Preston uses "kanji characters", as opposed to
>>just "kanji".  At any rate, perhaps "kanji" is becoming the general
>>American term for Chinese characters?
>>
>>--
>>Gadi Niram
>>gadi at maniagrid.com
>
>
>
>***************************************************************************
>Peter A. McGraw       Linfield College        McMinnville, Oregon
>******************* pmcgraw at linfield.edu ****************************


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
15C Morrill Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-4736
preston at msu.edu