<p>There might be a bit of misunderstanding about where cursive script comes from. Many cursive characters <strong>do not</strong> actually come from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="noreferrer">regular script</a>, but are derived from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="noreferrer">Warring States era brush calligraphy</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_script" rel="noreferrer">seal script shapes</a>.</p>
<hr />
<p>This here</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/K454us.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/K454us.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>cannot approximate the shape or follow the stroke order of</p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty" rel="noreferrer">秦</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="noreferrer">簡</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/4S0Gu.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4S0Gu.png" alt="" /></a><br>23.1<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts" rel="noreferrer">睡虎地秦簡</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han" rel="noreferrer">東漢</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script" rel="noreferrer">隸</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/dLpQK.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/dLpQK.png" alt="㐬" /></a><br>嵩山太室闕<br>　</kbd></p>
<p>as the left part isn't as emphasised as this:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tLz2vs.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tLz2vs.png" alt="不" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p>This here</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/5OtKIs.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5OtKIs.jpg" alt="正" /></a></p>
<p>cannot approximate the shape or follow the stroke order of</p>
<p><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script" rel="noreferrer">篆</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tL0kw.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tL0kw.png" alt="正" /></a><br><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77389&amp;page=66" rel="noreferrer">正部</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi" rel="noreferrer">說文解字</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Western_Han" rel="noreferrer">西漢</a><br>隸<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/PZ4MM.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/PZ4MM.png" alt="正" /></a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Bin%27s_Art_of_War" rel="noreferrer">孫臏</a>37<br>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinqueshan_Han_Slips" rel="noreferrer">銀雀山漢簡</a></kbd></p>
<p>nearly as well as this:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tfpNos.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tfpNos.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-05T15:02:23.873Z
2020-09-06T06:43:54.790Z
2020-09-06T06:43:54.790Z
dROOOze
<p>Tell me why most cursive forms of Chinese character, &quot;不&quot;, is shaped like this:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tLz2v.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tLz2v.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/HhrpL.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/HhrpL.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Instead of this?:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/K454u.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/K454u.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ObcTj.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ObcTj.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/XBGaW.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/XBGaW.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Looks like four dots.
And another Chinese character, &quot;正&quot;, shaped like this:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/eIIsn.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/eIIsn.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tfpNo.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tfpNo.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Instead of this?:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/5OtKI.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5OtKI.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Why is this exists,
Tell me how is this <strong>exists</strong>?!</p>

<traditional-characters><calligraphy>
Why most cursive forms of two Chinese characters, "不" and "正", have a different shape that violates the stroke order?
# Why most cursive forms of two Chinese characters, "不" and "正", have a different shape that violates the stroke order?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-05)

Tell me why most cursive forms of Chinese character, "不", is shaped like this:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/tLz2v.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/tLz2v.png)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/HhrpL.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/HhrpL.png)

Instead of this?:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/K454u.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/K454u.png)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ObcTj.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/ObcTj.jpg)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/XBGaW.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/XBGaW.jpg)

Looks like four dots.
And another Chinese character, "正", shaped like this:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/eIIsn.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/eIIsn.png)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/tfpNo.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/tfpNo.png)

Instead of this?:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/5OtKI.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/5OtKI.jpg)

Why is this exists,
Tell me how is this **exists**?!

**Tags:** traditional-characters, calligraphy


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-09-05. Score: 10

There might be a bit of misunderstanding about where cursive script comes from. Many cursive characters **do not** actually come from [regular script](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script), but are derived from [Warring States era brush calligraphy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips) and [seal script shapes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_script).

---

This here

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/K454us.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/K454us.png)

cannot approximate the shape or follow the stroke order of

`秦  
簡  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/4S0Gu.png)  
23.1  
睡虎地秦簡``東漢  
隸  
![㐬](https://i.sstatic.net/dLpQK.png)  
嵩山太室闕`

as the left part isn't as emphasised as this:

[![不](https://i.sstatic.net/tLz2vs.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/tLz2vs.png)

---

This here

[![正](https://i.sstatic.net/5OtKIs.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/5OtKIs.jpg)

cannot approximate the shape or follow the stroke order of

`篆  
![正](https://i.sstatic.net/tL0kw.png)  
正部  
說文解字``西漢  
隸  
![正](https://i.sstatic.net/PZ4MM.png)  
孫臏37  
銀雀山漢簡`

nearly as well as this:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/tfpNos.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/tfpNos.png)


---

