Eight Principles of Yong explained

Bodystyle:font-size:smaller;background:#fff;
Caption3:The strokes together and separated: sequence numbers, and stroke directions (red)
Showflag:c
C:永字八法
P:Yǒngzì Bā Fǎ
W:Yung3tzu4 Pa1 Fa3
J:Wing5zi6 Baat3 Faat3
H:Yúnsṳ̀ Pat Fap
Tl:Íngjī Pat Huat
Qn:Vĩnh tự bát pháp
Chuhan:永字八法
Kanji:永字八法
Kana:えいじはっぽう
Romaji:Eiji happō
Hangul:영자팔법
Hanja:永字八法
Rr:Yeongjapalbeop

The Eight Principles of Yong are used by calligraphers to practice how to write the eight most common strokes in regular script, using the fact that they are all present in the character . It was believed that the frequent practice of these principles as such when beginning one's study could ensure beauty in the Chinese calligrapher's writing.

The Eight Principles are influenced by the Eastern Jin-era Seven Powers by Lady Wei Shuo. Publications on the principles include:

Table

Stroke[4] ! colspan="4"
Name Additional description
Tang-eraLiModern Chinesescope=col Vietnamese
1Vietnamese: chấmTiny dash, speck
2Vietnamese: sổ ngangRightward
3Vietnamese: sổ dọcDownward
4Vietnamese: mócAppended to others, suddenly going down, or left only
5Vietnamese: hấtFlick up and rightwards
6Vietnamese: congTapering thinning curve, usually concave left (convex outward right) with fast speed as if skimming
7Vietnamese: phẩyFalling leftwards with light curve
8Vietnamese: mácFalling rightwards, fattening at bottom, where endpoint is "sharp as a knife"

CJK strokes

See main article: Stroke (CJK character). In addition to these eight common strokes in, there are at least two dozen strokes of combinations which enter in the composition of CJK strokes and by inclusion the CJK characters themselves. Many are included in Unicode.[4]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Liu, Zongyuan . 永字八法颁 . 全唐文 . 0583 . zh . zh:Yǒngzìbāfǎ sòng. Praise to the Eight Principles of "Yong".
  2. Book: Yan, Zhenqing . 永字八法颂 . 全唐文 . 0338 . zh . zh:Yǒngzìbāfǎ sòng. Praise to the Eight Principles of "Yong".
  3. Book: Li, Puguang . 永字八法解 . zh . zh:Yǒngzìbāfǎ jiě . Eight Ways to Explain "Yong".
  4. Web site: Unicode Consortium . CJK Strokes . The Unicode Standard.