When Wor(l)ds Collide: Chinese Characters, East Asian Writing, and Ideographic Universalism
October 22 @ 6:10 pm - 7:40 pm
Critical Chinese Humanities Colloquium event:
Title: When Wor(l)ds Collide: Chinese Characters, East Asian Writing, and Ideographic Universalism
Zev Handel (University of Washington)
Zev Handel (University of Washington)
Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 6:10-7:40 pm
Location: Kent 403 | Hybrid
Zoom registration: https://columbiauniversity.
In-person registration (for non CU audience): https://docs.
In-person registration (for non CU audience): https://docs.
Event Co-sponsors: Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures; The Society of Fellows and Heyman Center for the
Humanities; Institute for Comparative Literature and Society; Weatherhead East Asian Institute; The University Seminar in
World Philology; Center for Comparative Media; The Linguistics Program
Humanities; Institute for Comparative Literature and Society; Weatherhead East Asian Institute; The University Seminar in
World Philology; Center for Comparative Media; The Linguistics Program
Short Abstract:
The Chinese character 月 is or has been used to represent words meaning ‘moon’ in Mandarin (yuè), Cantonese (jyut 6 ), Japanese (tsuki), Korean (dal), and Zhuang (ndwen) despite their different pronunciations. It is therefore not surprising that 17 th -century European intellectuals believed that unlike alphabetic writing, Chinese characters represented ideas and not words. They thought Chinese characters might serve as a universal tool of communication for speakers of different languages. This view has been
debunked as the ideographic myth. It can be easily shown that the origin, development, and contemporary usage of the Chinese script are all inextricably connected to pronunciation of specific spoken words. This raises an apparent paradox. If Chinese writing represents words just like alphabetic writing does, then why do characters like 月 also appear to transcend language differences and occupy a realm apart from speech? By examining the typology of the Chinese script, the role of Classical Chinese in pre modern East Asia, and the mechanisms of adaptation of Chinese characters as they spread across Asia and were adapted to represent other spoken languages (including Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese), I show that the explanation for the apparent paradox is both mundane and profound. Chinese characters are not embodiments of pure ideas and are not universal in their ability to convey meaning, yet they are infinitely adaptable to represent the words of any spoken language.
The Chinese character 月 is or has been used to represent words meaning ‘moon’ in Mandarin (yuè), Cantonese (jyut 6 ), Japanese (tsuki), Korean (dal), and Zhuang (ndwen) despite their different pronunciations. It is therefore not surprising that 17 th -century European intellectuals believed that unlike alphabetic writing, Chinese characters represented ideas and not words. They thought Chinese characters might serve as a universal tool of communication for speakers of different languages. This view has been
debunked as the ideographic myth. It can be easily shown that the origin, development, and contemporary usage of the Chinese script are all inextricably connected to pronunciation of specific spoken words. This raises an apparent paradox. If Chinese writing represents words just like alphabetic writing does, then why do characters like 月 also appear to transcend language differences and occupy a realm apart from speech? By examining the typology of the Chinese script, the role of Classical Chinese in pre modern East Asia, and the mechanisms of adaptation of Chinese characters as they spread across Asia and were adapted to represent other spoken languages (including Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese), I show that the explanation for the apparent paradox is both mundane and profound. Chinese characters are not embodiments of pure ideas and are not universal in their ability to convey meaning, yet they are infinitely adaptable to represent the words of any spoken language.
