The "I-Shi-Kou-Zhong" System in the Lexicography of the Chinese Language on the Example of the Literary Work of A. P. Chekhov "Kashtanka"

   The Chinese language is one of the most ancient of the currently existing languages, and hieroglyphic writing, which was invented one and a half millennia BC, continues to exist and be used today. The Chinese character is one of the most interesting, mysterious and amazing forms of writing in the world, since the hieroglyphic sign is a unique pattern that has its own origin, meaning and history. Each hieroglyph can mean both a separate syllable and a full-fledged whole word. Many of the words are derived from one or two syllables. This point is important to consider when working with a dictionary. China has long had a rich lexicographical tradition; there are many dictionaries of various types, designed for different purposes, and there are also many systems for arranging language material in dictionaries. However, three main systems are usually considered the most common: key, graphic and phonetic. The key system is historically the oldest and most widely used. Dictionaries compiled according to the phonetic system appeared in China  relatively recently. This article is devoted to such a way of determining Chinese characters by their appearance in dictionaries as the “I-Shi-Kou-Zhong” system. The paper discusses the history of the emergence of this system, its application in practice and the influence of this system on the study of Chinese by foreigners, as well as a comparative analysis of the Russian and Chinese languages was carried out when working with the text of A. P. Chekhov "Kashtanka" using the "I-Shi-Kou-Zhong" system.
   Results: In the course of the work, we analyzed various systems for the distribution of hieroglyphs in the dictionary; the characteristic of the "I-Shi-Kou-Zhong" system is given, as well as a comparative analysis of the Russian and Chinese languages when working with the text of A. P. Chekhov "Kashtanka" using the system "I-Shi-Kou-Zhong"; Speaking about the "I-Shi-Kou-Zhong" system in terms of its effectiveness and convenience, the following provisions can be noted: First, this system is definitely easy to use. It significantly reduces the time to search for the required character in the Russian-Chinese dictionary. Secondly, this system is a great help not only for people who know Chinese at a fairly high level, but also for beginners. Thirdly, the "System of 4 digits" contributes to the rapid memorization of Chinese keys, so it is difficult to deny that it also has a cognitive, educational character.

   Conclusion: Summarizing the above, I would like to emphasize that this system contributes to the rapid mem-orization of keys, in particular, and the language in general, and is also effective in its application in the practice of translating texts of varying complexity. It should be noted that the prospects for using the Yi-Shi-Kou-Zhong system include not only lexicographic projects, but also various others, for example, it can contribute to the development of electronic devices as a method for entering hieroglyphs, words, and even entire phrases.

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