The Discovery of Genesis (81 page)

Many characters may appear to be phonetic if one is not acquainted with the historical basis of the formation of the ideograph. Hence, if in truth, many characters are based on a common knowledge of historical fact, one not acquainted with the Biblical Genesis would not be in a position to interpret them.

Looking at the language purely from a phonetic viewpoint it would appear that some words were either given the same “sound” as intentional inventions, or naturally evolved in the course of developing spoken language, since they concern closely related subjects. Many words doubtless began as “slang” or colloquial expressions. Let us examine an English illustration first, the word, AIR. Originally this word must have indicated the atmospheric gas which one breathes. To
air
something out, means to freshen it in the
air
, or dry it out; an
air
can be melody or tune (possibly originally whistled into the
air
); one can
air
or publicize an opinion (in the open); one can go on the
air
(broadcast by radio waves); something in the
air
is about to happen, but is not yet apparent; one can be up in the
air
and be unsettled or angry; or one can walk on
air
and be happy and exuberant. Thus the phonetic sound, AIR, can take on a multitude of meanings, but all can be obviously and meaning fully derived from an original simple word association.

In like manner, is it not conceivable that the same phonetic sound in Chinese can be equated with related subjects? For example the word “TTEN”: perhaps originally “T’ien” indicated
heaven
and was therefore also equated with
God
, the
Heavenly Ruler
or
Shang-Ti.
The first meeting place of God with man was the
Garden
(T’ien)
of Eden, the home of the first lords of the earth, Adam and Eve. Thus, it is plausible that the home of the earthly ruler, or the
imperial domain
(tien)
came to be called the same. It was in the
Garden
where man met face to face with God and was also
ashamed
(T’ien)
because of the
law and statute
(tien)
that Adam and Eve first broke. They doubtless built an altar at the gate of the Garden after they were expelled so that the
Garden
(T’ien)
became associated with worship. Later when a
temple
was erected, it too became a “tien”. “Tien” also came to mean an
offering of libation
. Finally, “tien”
is a
dot
or a
point
which consecrates or anoints. For example the character
king
is “dotted”
and becomes
lord.
The addition of this
dot
on an ancestral tablet in the temple was a service of consecration.