RADICAL EXPRESSIONS
52 Thousand-year-old Chinese Characters That Are Surprisingly Relevant Today
Huang Weijia
This book explores 52 Chinese characters from their ancient roots to modern usage. Each chapter contains explanations of the history and legends associated with the character, offering intriguing perspective on Chinese culture; quotes and idioms formed by the character that are insightful and fun to use in daily conversation; and strokes broken down by order, with space to practice handwriting. The book is suited for beginners to advanced Chinese learners, and anyone else interested in Chinese culture.
One morning circa 786 CE, upon seeing weeds thriving in the fields, 15-year-old Bai Juyi (白居易), later one of China’s most renowned poets, praised the unrelenting life and energy of wild plants in his poem Farewells on Grassland《(赋得古原草送别》): “Wildfire cannot burn it completely; when spring winds blow, it lives again (野火烧不尽，春风吹又生
The prototype of the character 野
( meaning “wild,” first appeared over 3,000 years ago on oracle bones as . The form of the character was self-explanatory, combining 林trees) and 土 land) to indicate a vast tract of wooded land. The character changed its form as 野 in the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE): On the left side is 里 village), which conveyed the meaning, and on the right side 予 ( give), which indicates the sound of the character. This changed from to over time.
The character 野 generally refers to the backcountry or wilderness. People living in isolated forests and other remote areas were called 野人 ( wild people), which later evolved into a pejorative term for uneducated and ill-mannered people. Therefore, 野now has the meaning of rudeness, as indicated in terms like 粗野violent), 撒野 to run riot), and 野蛮 ( barbaric).
The wilderness is difficult for
humans to control. Thus, the character野 also took on the connotation of lacking restraint. For instance, an untamed nature is 野性 ( and wild ambition is 野心 ( a term describing zealous people desperate for fame and power and also referring to those who have grandiose schemes for success, as in: “Young people should have wild ambitions to achieve a better future (年轻人就应该有野心，才能成就更好的未来
Any creature or plant that grows naturally without being cultivated or cared for by humans can have 野grafted onto them. There are 野花
wild flowers) and 野草weeds), and wild animals like 野
兔 ( hare), 野鸡 ( pheasant, literally “wild chicken”), and 野猪
wild boar). Large animals living in the wild, like tigers, are collectively called 野兽 wild beasts).
Offering a break from the urban hustle and bustle, nature boasts a lot for humans to explore and enjoy. For instance, backcountry camping (野营
is an ideal way to relax in the outdoors (野外 perhaps you’d rather have a picnic (野餐and enjoy the beauty of nature (野
趣 But don’t touch or eat 野味
( wild game), which may be a virus vector.
The line between the governing and the governed also lay in 野. In ancient China, the court and its officials were called 朝 while common people were 野 ( a usage traced back to the Han dynasty, as in The History of the Late Han Dynasty《(后汉书》) that laments the destiny of Du Qiao (杜乔) and Li Gu (李固), upright officials who were framed as usurpers and died in prison: “由是海内叹息，朝野瞻望焉
The whole country lamented [the deposal of Li Gu] and the court and people were waiting with anticipation to see whether or not Du would surrender to those treacherous officials).” Likewise, unofficial records of history were known as 野史as compared to authorized 正史
official history) by courtappointed historians.
Similarly, in modern times, 朝relates to the government, while 野indicates something non-governmental. Headlines might say, “Both the officials and the people were shocked when the news broke (消息传出，朝野一片哗然
The ruling party of a multi-party state is called 执政党
while its opposition parties are 在野党
Compared to the concrete urban jungle, wildernesses are often seen as vast and spacious. Thus, the character野 has also come to mean “space” or “range” as in 视野 outlook). Thus, teachers might encourage their students to “broaden their horizons (开阔视野 From the untamed wilderness, to uninhibited ambition, to charting new frontiers, 野is a character that will take you out of your comfort zone.