644 PICTURE-WRITING OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS. 
These afford aw interpretation to the ancient Chinese form for son, 
d in same figure, given in Journ. Royal Asiatic Society, 1, 1834, p. 219, 
as belonging to the Shang dynasty, 1756-1112 B. C., and the modern 
Chinese form, e, which, without the comparison, would not be supposed 
to have any pictured reference to an infant with hand or finger at or 
approaching the mouth, denoting the taking of nourishment. Having 
now suggested this, the Chinese character for birth, f in same figure, 
is understood as a parallel expression of a common gesture among 
the Indians, particularly reported from the Dakota, for born, to be born; 
viz, place the left hand in front of the body a little to the right, the 
palm downward and slightly arched, then pass the extended right 
hand downward, forward, and upward, forming a short curve under- 
neath the left, as in Fig. 1005 a. This is based upon the curve followed 
by the head of the child during birth, and is used generically. The 
same curve, when made with one hand, appears in Fig. 1005 b. 
It may be of interest to compare with the Chinese child the Mexican 
abbreviated character for man, Fig. 1004 gy, found in Pipart (c). The 
character on the right is called the abbreviated form of the one by its 
side. 
The Chinese character for man is 
Fig. 1004 h, and may have the same 
A obvious conception as a Dakota sign 
for the same signification: ‘Place 
a c a 
? the extended index pointing upward 
‘ eu 4 and forward before the lower portion 
z he 3 JK. of the abdomen.” 
e i g A A typical sign inade by the Indians 
Fic. 1004.—Symbols for child and man. for no, negation, is as follows: 
The hand extended or slightly eurved is held in front of the body, a 
* 
Tic. 1005.—Gestures for birth, 
e 
little to the right of the median line; it is then carried with a rapid 
sweep a foot or more farther to the right. 
> pe 
