This study analyzes the semantic network of the Chinese character heng (橫, horizontal) based on the comprehensive data from the Hanyu Da Cidian (漢語大詞典), elucidating how the notion of ‘horizontal’ systematically acquired negative connotations in the Chinese language. Through a detailed examination of 31 semantic entries and a complete analysis of 407 compound words incorporating heng, it was found that negative meanings accounted for 51.6%, constituting a majority, while positive meanings represented merely about 10%. Initially referring to a wooden barrier placed horizontally across a doorway, heng evolved metaphorically to denote disorder, suddenness, violence, and reckless decisiveness. This semantic development contrasts sharply with the vertical axis (縱 zong, 經 jing, 直 zhi), which symbolically represents order, centrality, authority, and continuity. Consequently, the horizontal axis became semantically associated with disruption and deviation from established order. Conversely, the English concepts of “horizontal” and “lateral” predominantly carry positive or neutral connotations, embodying metaphors of fairness, equality, and creativity. Such divergences originate from the contrasting cultural contexts: the Chinese sedentary-agricultural civilization strengthened values centered on the vertical axis, whereas Western maritime, nomadic, and contractual traditions affirmed the positive symbolism of horizontal metaphors. In conclusion, the semantic orientation of heng offers linguistic evidence of the vertical-axis-centered thinking inherent in Chinese civilization and exemplifies significant structural differences in conceptual frameworks between Eastern and Western cultures.

This paper investigates the vestiges of bear worship in ancient Chinese characters. It analyzes the emergence and significance of characters symbolizing bears, such as “能” (néng) and “熊” (xióng), to elucidate their connection with the tradition of bear worship. “能” is identified as a pictogram representing the bear’s body, and it is argued that the character “羽 /能” (yī) used in the bamboo texts of the Chu state is related to bear birth mythology. Additionally, the study reveals that the ancestral surname “嬴” (Yíng) of the Qin dynasty encapsulates meanings related to the bear. The research explores the potential links between the bear worship totem of the Hongshan culture and the ethnic groups of the Qin and Chu states, supporting the polygenetic theory of the formation of the Chinese nation. It particularly emphasizes the significance of the Northeast Asian civilizations beyond the monocentric theory centered around the Yellow River or the dualistic theory of the Yangshao-Liangzhu cultures. The study also contributes to understanding the cultural connections between Gojoseon’s Dangun mythology, the formation of the Korean ethnic group, and further cultural linkages with Japan. This study comprehensively illuminates the impact of bear worship on the formation of Chinese and Northeast Asian cultures and is expected to lay a crucial theoretical foundation for constructing the methodology of “Chinese character archaeology” that integrates studies of ancient characters with ethnology, archaeology, and philology. Through this, it aims to provide deep insights into how various ethnicities and cultures have interacted to shape Chinese civilization.