Introduction#
⬆️Image source Zhihu
In the context of the mainland internet, the traditional characters standard in Taiwan are referred to as so-called standard characters.
Here, we will not discuss the political issues of authenticity, but rather approach this topic from the perspective of Chinese characters themselves.
Let's start with a few definitions:#
Standard Characters/Normative Characters#
In a certain region, the officially established and used standard for the forms of Chinese characters is called standard characters, or normative characters. The corresponding concept is vulgar characters/variant characters.
For example, in mainland China, the "General Standard Chinese Characters List" is the standard, where the simplified character "为" and its corresponding traditional character "爲" are normative characters, while "為" is a variant character.
Yes, the mainland has not completely abolished traditional characters; it has also established a set of standards for traditional characters, but very few people know about the mainland standard for traditional characters.
Traditional Characters/Inheriting Characters#
Broadly speaking, traditional characters refer to the set of character forms corresponding to the simplified characters in the mainland, such as "Hong Kong traditional."
Narrowly speaking, traditional characters refer to the original forms of simplified characters, such as "漢" compared to "汉."
Characters that have not been simplified, which are characters that have the same form in both simplified and traditional, are called inheriting characters, such as "字."
Therefore, the conclusion is#
The Taiwan authorities use the "National Standard Font" as the standard and refer to it as standard characters.
For the people of Taiwan, the Taiwan standard traditional characters are the officially prescribed and commonly used character forms, which is their standard characters, and it is reasonable to refer to them as "Taiwan standard."
After all, they do not use simplified characters; some simplified standards from the mainland are considered variant characters there (and vice versa).
Similarly, for the people of the mainland, the simplified/traditional characters we use every day are standard characters, or normative characters.
The Taiwan character forms may also be regarded as variant characters, while some inheriting characters are the same as those in the mainland.
In terms of naming, commonly used terms like Taiwan standard traditional or Taiwan traditional are acceptable; the term "standard characters" is indeed not commonly used in the mainland.
Is it correct? Yes, it is.#
Now we can discuss the so-called authenticity issue.
If someone on the other side refers to "remnant characters/evil characters," this latter part can be countered; otherwise, just skip it, as it can be a bit emotional.
The Taiwan character forms themselves also have some simplified parts for convenience; if strictly following the Kangxi Dictionary as the standard:
"爲" -> "為"
"裏" -> "裡"
"衆" -> "眾"
and so on...
The retention is not as good as the Hong Kong standard forms, but they call it "Hong Kong traditional."
The so-called tradition is not very traditional; in fact, many simplified characters are simplified towards the ancient forms, such as "從" -> "从."
The evolution of Chinese characters is also an inevitable trend that adapts to the development of the times. The current simplified character scheme does have some hasty aspects, but overall it has played a quite positive role.
⬆️Image source Douban
In 1935, the Nanjing National Government issued the "First Batch of Simplified Characters List," which clearly stated:
- Simplified characters are characters with simplified strokes, easy to recognize and write, different from standard characters, and can replace traditional characters in writing.
- The simplified characters listed in this table include vulgar characters, ancient characters, cursive script, etc. Vulgar characters include "体，宝，岩，蚕，" ancient characters include "气，无，處，广，" cursive script includes "时，实，为，会，" all of which are commonly used.
Although this standard has not been preserved, it is enough to show the support for the simplification of Chinese characters among modern intellectuals.
⬆️Image source Wikipedia
Is it good-looking? Not necessarily; at least when I write by hand, I generally use mainland or Hong Kong standards or even the new Japanese character forms.
(This varies from person to person; this is a subjective view, just like preferring British or American English when learning English; as long as you like it, that's fine.)
Finally, Disclaimer#
Most definitions come from Wikipedia, including "standard characters" itself.
I am not a professional, just a Chinese character enthusiast; feel free to communicate (seeking common ground while reserving differences).