The emergence and spread of the variant form of Chinese Character are related to people’s cognitive principles. The cognitive modes of Chinese Character formed by identity, assimilation, distinction and integration. On the surface, the variant form of Chinese Character appears haphazardly. It is clearly seen that there are the reason on the evolution of the variant form of the Chinese Character, which mainly lies in the active role of human perception. People’s cognitive principles determine not only the ways of the emergence but the degree of variation of the variant form of Chinese Character.

摘要：异体字的产生和流传与人们的认知方式和规律有关。汉字通过标识作用、类化作用、区别作用和融会作用构成特有的认知模式，汉语中的异体字表面上似乎多为杂乱无章的异构与异写字，但其作为一种传播媒体自然也要受到文字的社会性的制约，因而凡是能为社会所承认而广泛流传的异体字也就或多或少有其认知的理据性。异体字的认知理据性主要体现在人的知觉的能动作用。人的认知规律不仅决定了异体字的产生方式，同时也限定了异体字的变易程度和范围。从认知的角度揭示异体字产生与流传的原因有裨于汉字古今演变内在规律和汉字发展演变趋势的探讨。

• Shiyi XU(Humanities College, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China) | 徐时仪