It has been written vertically since ancient times, and people read it vertically from right to left.
Writing horizontally from left to right is a change after liberation.
I. Reasons
1. Before papermaking was invented, the ancients wrote on bamboo slips. Bamboo slips and wooden slips are long and narrow pieces of bamboo, which can be rolled into books when strung together. So write vertically.
In ancient times, bamboo slips were written piece by piece and then bound into a book. The word "book" is a pictograph of bamboo slips. When the book is opened, the right hand holds the end and the left hand opens it conveniently. Therefore, writing is from top to bottom and from right to left.
2. The characteristics of Chinese characters and people's writing habits
Judging from the characteristics of Chinese characters and people's physiological habits, the stroke order of a word is more convenient from top to bottom and from left to right.
Because writing horizontally from right to left, when writing the left half, the brush is bound to block the right half, which is not conducive to arranging the structure and affecting the appearance.
3. The ancients respected rights.
The ancient people's concept of inferiority is very serious, and the writing of Chinese characters reflects this concept from top to bottom and from right to left. In ancient times, the superior was the king and the parents; Subordinates are ministers and children. The right side is big and the left side is small.
Extended data:
I. Brief Introduction of Bamboo Slips
Bamboo slips, bamboo slips and wood chips used for writing in ancient China are called open-book books.
In fact, it is a general term for several things, referring to bamboo slips, wooden slips, bamboo slips and wooden slips.
Before the invention of paper, bamboo slips were the most important form of China's books, which had a far-reaching influence on the book system of later generations.
Today, the terminology, writing format and writing method of books still inherit the tradition formed during the bamboo slips period.
Two. Ancient prose
Ancient writing. It refers to Oracle Bone Inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, bronze inscriptions and scripts that prevailed in six countries during the Warring States Period.