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Chinese punctuation for proper nouns

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Modern versions of the Chinese language have two kinds of punctuation marks for indicating proper nouns – the proper name mark[1] / proper noun mark[2] (Simplified Chinese: 专名号; Traditional Chinese: 專名號) and the book title marks[3] / title marks[4] (Simplified Chinese: 书名号; Traditional Chinese: 書名號). The former may be applied to all proper nouns except when the nouns in question are titles of textual or artistic works, in which case the latter are used instead. Unlike the proper name mark, there are several variants of book title marks.

Old-school style

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The old-school style uses two different underlines. The proper name mark appears as a straight underline ＿, while the book title mark appears as a wavy underline ﹏. On horizontally aligned texts, on-the-left beside lines ︳ and ︴ are used instead of underlines.[5][6]

In Taiwan, the underlined book title mark is called "Type A" (甲式) in contrast to "Type B" (乙式), 《》.[7] In China, only type B book title marks are accepted in modern day use.[8] Both Taiwan and China recognise straight underline as proper name mark.[9][10]

When a proper noun immediately follows another, the lines accompanying each of them do not connect; however, many digital systems are unable to correctly display this break.

The old-school style proper name marks were an official rule in Taiwan and Hong Kong earlier.[6] However, since the old-school style is hard to typeset, the current use of this style is common only in Traditional Chinese school textbooks as well as Classical Chinese text that has been re-laid out in a modern style.[11][12]

Example

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屈原放逐，乃賦離騒。左丘失明，厥有國語。

Translation: Qu Yuan was exiled, the Li Sao was thus composed. Zuo Qiu (or Zuoqiu[note 1]) lost his sight, hence there is the Guo Yu.

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The popular style uses a pair of angle brackets for book title marks, which are intended to surround the title of a piece of textual or artistic work. There are two kinds of angle brackets available. The double angle brackets (《》) and single angle brackets (〈〉). In horizontally aligned texts, 《》 and 〈〉 were used as book title marks. In vertically-aligned text, the rotated forms of the above-mentioned symbols (︽⋯︾) and (︿⋯﹀) are used instead. The proper noun mark is not defined in popular styles both in Taiwan and China.[13][14]

The choice between single and double-angle brackets is vary. In Taiwan's Traditional Chinese, it is according to the format of the textual or artistic work – in general, double-angle brackets are for works that stand by themselves, which would be italicized if they were in English text, whereas single-angle brackets are for sections or chapters in the work.[15] In Mainland China's Simplified Chinese, double-angle brackets should always be used. The single-angle brackets only appear between double-angle brackets to indicate a title within another title.[16]

The popular style of book title mark is called type B in Taiwan, while the angle brackets are the only acceptable style in China for modern day use.[17][18]

Since these symbols are processed as individual characters, there are virtually no difficulties for digital systems to display them correctly. These styles are dominant amongst both printed and digital Chinese text.[11]

In Japanese language, 『 』 are usually used as book title mark.

Example

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In Taiwanese usage:[12]

《史記》是司馬遷所著的一本綜合體史書，其中〈項羽本紀〉寫項羽只信舊族姻親，不能用謀士范增，以至敗亡的歷史經驗。

Rough translation: Shiji is an overview-type history book written by Sima Qian. The "Basic Annals of Xiang Yu" chapter in the book is about how Xiang Yu trusts his old-day relatives instead of his advisor Fan Zeng which leads to his defeat.

In Chinese usage:[19]

《教育部关于提请审议〈高等教育自学考试试行办法〉的报告》

Translation: The report of the Ministry of Education on Proposing about the "Interim Measures for self-taught higher education"

See also

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  • Interpunct, used to mark divisions in proper names in Chinese
  • Tai tou, an honorific space sometimes inserted before a person's name as a mark of respect

References

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  1. ^ 提升國小三年級學童標點符號運用能力之行動研究 [An Action Research for Improving the Ability of Using the Punctuation Mark for Third Graders] (Thesis). 2016-07-11. hdl:11296/vtcj9e. Retrieved 2022-10-10 – via 臺灣博碩士論文知識加值系統 (National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan). There is less patience for students to read long sentences, so it will be easy to make mistakes such as missing writing and wrong answering, and it is not easy to understand the use of colon and punctuation of proper name mark.
  2. ^ 由數學擬題探討國小高年級學童語文應用能力之現況 [A discussion of performance in language application using mathematical problem posing in higher graders of elementary school] (Thesis). 2011-06-17. hdl:11296/s5egqw. Retrieved 2022-10-10 – via 臺灣博碩士論文知識加值系統 (National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan). v. Omission of proper noun mark
  3. ^ "Requirements for Chinese Text Layout - 中文排版需求". World Wide Web Consortium. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  4. ^ Standardization Administration of China (1994-12-07). 中华人民共和国国家标准 汉语信息处理词汇 02部分:汉语和汉字 GB/T 12200.2-1994 [Chinese information processing--Vocabulary--Part 02:Chinese and Chinese character]. p. 15. 4.1.8.15 书名号 title mark
  5. ^ National Languages Committee (2008-12-01). 《重訂標點符號手冊》修訂版 [Revised Handbook of Punctuation] (PDF). p. 14.
  6. ^ a b 宋楚瑜 (1998). 學術論文規範. 正中書局．流傳文化．墨文堂文化. p. 56. ISBN 9789570903478.
  7. ^ National Languages Committee (2008-12-01). 《重訂標點符號手冊》修訂版 [Revised Handbook of Punctuation] (PDF). p. 14.
  8. ^ Standardization Administration of China (2011-12-30). 中华人民共和国国家标准GB/T15834-2011标点符号用法 [General rules of punctuation] (PDF). p. 12.
  9. ^ National Languages Committee (2008-12-01). 《重訂標點符號手冊》修訂版 [Revised Handbook of Punctuation] (PDF). p. 18.
  10. ^ Standardization Administration of China (2011-12-30). 中华人民共和国国家标准GB/T15834-2011标点符号用法 [General rules of punctuation] (PDF). p. 12.
  11. ^ a b 何永清 (2005). 現代漢語語法新探. 臺灣商務印書館. p. 299-300. ISBN 9789570519495.
  12. ^ a b "【寫作小撇步】 常用的標點符號(二)". 人間福報. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  13. ^ National Languages Committee (2008-12-01). 《重訂標點符號手冊》修訂版 [Revised Handbook of Punctuation] (PDF). p. 18.
  14. ^ Standardization Administration of China (2011-12-30). 中华人民共和国国家标准GB/T15834-2011标点符号用法 [General rules of punctuation] (PDF). p. 12.
  15. ^ National Languages Committee (2008-12-01). 《重訂標點符號手冊》修訂版 [Revised Handbook of Punctuation] (PDF). p. 14. 乙式： 1、《 》多用於書名，〈 〉多用於篇名。
  16. ^ Standardization Administration of China (2011-12-30). 中华人民共和国国家标准GB/T15834-2011标点符号用法 [General rules of punctuation] (PDF). p. 12. 4.15.3.5 当书名号中还需要书名号时，里面一层用单书名号，外面一层用双书名号。
  17. ^ National Languages Committee (2008-12-01). 《重訂標點符號手冊》修訂版 [Revised Handbook of Punctuation] (PDF). p. 14.
  18. ^ Standardization Administration of China (2011-12-30). 中华人民共和国国家标准GB/T15834-2011标点符号用法 [General rules of punctuation] (PDF). p. 12.
  19. ^ Standardization Administration of China (2011-12-30). 中华人民共和国国家标准GB/T15834-2011标点符号用法 [General rules of punctuation] (PDF). p. 12.

Notes

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  1. ^ There are debates on whether the name 左丘明 has surname 左 and given name 丘明 (Zuo Qiuming) or surname 左丘 and given name 明 (Zuoqiu Ming).
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