The Normalization Of Radical Character Searching Method

Radical character searching method, with a history of over 2000 years, is the most common character searching method for dictionaries and word books. The method possesses unparalleled strengths compared with other methods. However, this method are still not normalized and standardized up to now.Uniformed Table of Radicals for Chinese Characters (Draft), hereinafter referred to as the Table, is the first statutory radical rule of PRC. But the Table remains to be a draft at present, which causes lots of disputes and controversies in the practical application. The unavailability to uniform the radical character searching tables of all dictionaries and word books leads to chaotic status quo of the compilation of the character searching tables of various dictionaries and word books, which brings significant troubles to the searcher.Therefore, based on the 201 radicals listed in the Table as the starting point, and with reference to Chinese Dictionary and Dictionary of Standardized Modern Chinese, this paper aims at proposing reasonable suggestions on the further improvement of the 201 radicals to seek the normalization of radical character searching method via quantitative and qualitative analyses, and by adopting the Radical Character Quantization Method created by the author, including the following seven parts:Section One is an overview. The author reviews the source of radical character searching method, explaining the research target and meaning of the paper, and introducing the research method and materials to use in a brief manner.Section Two focuses on the producing principle of radicals, which clarifies the conception of the Radical Determination Based on Shape, and also gives affirmation to the meaning of such conception from a perspective of history development.Section Three includes the principle and method of the Chinese characters'radical classification. This section highlights the principle of radical classification based on shape, the chaotic status quo of the Chinese characters'radical classification and adoption of the radical selection and classification method applied in this paper.Section Four introduces the practical application problems existing in the Table.Section Five proposes several suggestions on the improvement of the 201 radicals via quantitative and qualitative analyses on all covered characters of the radical character searching table in the two aforesaid dictionaries, and by adopting the Radical Character Quantization Method.Section Six, under the guidance of Radical Determination and Classification principle and based on the research concerning the 201 radicals, includes two new sets of radical systems, separately applicable to the radical searching in small dictionary for simplified characters only and medium and large dictionary including both traditional and simplified characters.Section Seven is a conclusion, further emphasizing the important problems of the radical character searching method normalization of the Chinese characters based on the whole paper, and also clarifying the importance of the radical character searching method in the lexicography and Chinese teaching.