One-syllable article
{{Short description|Type of constrained writing found in Chinese literature}}
A one-syllable article ({{zh|c=同音文章|p=Tóngyīn wénzhāng}}) is a type of constrained writing found in Chinese literature. It takes advantage of the large number of homophones in the Chinese language, particularly when writing in Classical Chinese due to historic sound changes. While the characters used in a one-syllable article have many different meanings, they are all pronounced as the same syllable, although not with the same tone. Therefore, a one-syllable article is comprehensible in writing but becomes an incomprehensible tongue twister when read aloud, especially in Mandarin Chinese pronunciation. In other regional dialect pronunciations, all syllables may not sound alike.
Notable examples
- Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den ({{zh|s=施氏食狮史|t=施氏食獅史|p=Shī Shì shí shī shǐ}}), by Yuen Ren Chao
- {{Interlanguage link|The nephew who treats hemorrhoids|zh|3=侄治痔}} ({{zh|c=侄治痔|p=zhí zhì zhì}}), by He Yuanwai
- {{Interlanguage link|The legendary archer's descendant: Yi|wikisource:zh|3=羿裔熠}} ({{zh|c=羿裔熠|p=yì yì yì}})
- {{Interlanguage link|Suspecting the physician of losing gold|wikisource:zh|3=遗镒疑医}} ({{zh|s=遗镒疑医|t=遺鎰疑醫|p=yí yì yí yī}})
- {{Interlanguage link|Auntie Yi's pancreatic cure|wikisource:zh|3=易姨医胰}} ({{zh|s=易姨医胰|t=易姨醫胰|p=yì yí yī yí}})
- {{Interlanguage link|Yu Yu who intends fishing|wikisource:zh|3=于瑜欲渔}} ({{zh|s=于瑜欲渔|t=于瑜欲漁|p=yú yú yù yú}})
- {{Interlanguage link|Xi who plays with rhinoceros|wikisource:zh|3=熙戏犀}} ({{zh|s=熙戏犀|t=熙戲犀|p=xī xì xī}})
- {{Interlanguage link|Narration on starving chickens' assembly at a rift|wikisource:zh|3=饥鸡集矶记}} ({{zh|s=饥鸡集矶记|t=飢雞集磯記|p=jī jī jí jī jì}})
See also
External links
- [http://sueyin91.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_7252.html The story of a lion eating a pig] ({{zh|t=獅食豕史|s=狮食豕史|p=shī shí shǐ shǐ}}) Over 600 characters
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