Yi language refers to the characters used by the Yi people in Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and other places, also known as "Yi language" and "Yi script". Many books in Ming and Qing dynasties said that this writing was "like tadpoles" and "1840 letters". According to folklore, Yi language has a very long history, but the most prosperous period began after the Ming Dynasty.
The carrier forms of Yi literature circulating and remaining in Yi areas mainly include rock books, cloth books, leather books, paper books, tile books, wooden calves, bamboo slips, bone carvings, wood carvings, inscriptions on bones and seals, etc. Most of them are paper books. Judging from the date of paper and a few of them, most Yi documents were formed in Ming and Qing Dynasties. However, it does not mean that all Yi documents were first written in Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition to the extended genealogy, some inscriptions and the translation of Chinese ancient books, most of the Yi ancient books, especially the ancient books traditionally used by Bimo (a priest) of the Yi nationality, were copied from the original non-paper books into paper books according to the contents and formats handed down from generation to generation, that is, most of the Yi literature was written in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The existing documents in Yi language can be compared according to their historical background or date, including the Yi language and rock script in the original rock painting combination map in Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province more than 3,000 years ago, the bronze seal in Yi language in Zhaotong, Yunnan Province in the Western Han Dynasty (Tang Langyin), the "Tuo 'azhe Jigong Monument" in Guizhou in the Shu and Han Dynasties, and the opening ceremony in the Southern Song Dynasty (A.D. 1259 1).
The legend about the creator of ancient Yi language has been circulated among the people. It is also recorded in Historical Records. To sum up, there are the following statements at present.
Confucius' theory of suitable characters. Because the ancient Yi language is not a phonetic alphabet, its shape is similar to a unique Chinese character. Therefore, there is a folk legend that the ancient dance characters were also created by Confucius, saying that Confucius made characters with his right hand, so the writing order of Chinese characters was from right to left (referring to the left line of ancient Chinese characters), and the left hand made Yi characters, so the writing order of dance documents was from left to right (Ma Xueliang, 198 1).
Piaget lazu's theory of word formation. Many Yi people in Sichuan say so. Many people who go to Sichuan to inspect Yi culture have collected this legend, but the details are different. It is said that Bi Ashlazu (homophonic) was found by his mother to be "squatting under a tree, writing a book. There was a crow and cat-like monster on the tree, spitting black blood, so Lazu dipped in blood and wrote a book. His mother walked under the tree, and the monster suddenly ran away, ... and the Yi writing began" (Zhuang Xueben). Speaking of the death of Piaget Lagui. He was deeply disturbed by the failure to pass down his scriptures, and later he became a beautiful Bai Niao. "The blood in his mouth fell on the leaves and became all kinds of words", and his son "Geng Chun copied these words one by one with a thin stick, ... and passed them on to others, which is how Yi language was handed down" (Zhang Chunde).
Bo Bogeng said that he created words. This theory is mainly circulated among the people in Yunnan (Wang Changfu).
Lu Ji said that he created words. The legendary founder of Yi language in northwest Guizhou is a clever old man named Lu Ji. He began to carve the images of six kinds of poultry and six kinds of wild animals, and marked the year on the tree and the moon on the stone, forming a unique Yi language (Wang Guifu) completely different from Chinese characters.
Dumina really left something to say. In the ancient songs of the Yi people, there is a legend that Dumina Quezoda taught people to write Yi language with leaves as paper and red soil as ink. Similarly, it is also recorded in Nisudo Festival that tuna went to heaven to ask Liu Bei's immortal for words and books. Mia Butterfly said. 1935, Ding Wenjiang edited and published the classic dance poem Cong Wencong Ke, and the translator Tan said in the preface of "The History of the Emperor Century" that "there were thirty generations from the time when human ancestors hoped to cover it up to being desecrated. There are no words here, just dictation. In the twenty-ninth generation of Wuluocuo, God sent a priest named Mi Aidi, who came to sacrifice wine, write, make laws and establish laws, and began to develop culture and etiquette. "
Tsumoto Aru's theory of word formation. Volume 9 of Southwest Yi Records records that he discovered the origin of heaven and earth, founded ancestor worship and created Yi hieroglyphics.
Iawu said the word creation. There is also a record in Volume 10 of Southwest Yi Records that he is "extremely clever", knowing astronomy above and geography below, creating Yi language and writing many history books.
And Ako's word-making theory.
The origin of Yi people can be traced back to ancient times. Around the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, it became a single nation, and may have created its own characters. It became one of several ethnic minorities in China history who created their own characters and still use them today.