Sutizi(vulgar style script) refers to popular scripts that are prevalent among folk people but against the written styles during different periods. In opposition toSutiziisZhengtizi(standard style script).
After Chinese characters developed intoZhuanwen(seal script), character components became relatively fixed after the overall straightening; when they developed fromZhuanwenintoLishu(official script) and thenKaishu(regular script), the shape of character components was further fixed; in this way, the way of writing Chinese characters had its own rule. Characters that conform to the rule wereZhengtizi, while those go against the rule wereSutizi.
Compared withZhengtizi,Sutiziwais characterized by change of strokes or replace of character components, and someSutiziare coinages. Because manySutizihad fewer strokes thanZhengtizi, and were more convenient to use, they were handed down from history, and some of them were used as simplified characters to replace the original complicated characters during the simplification of Chinese characters in the history.
ManySutiziappeared in tablets of the past dynasties, which even influenced famous calligraphers.Sutiziwas also often seen in the rubber stamps of dramas and novels in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and many of these characters are even in use today.The Simplification Plan of Chinese Characters, published in 1955, authorized someSutizias regular scripts, and at the same time abolished a great manySutizi, which played an active role in standardization of Chinese characters. In this way,Sutizihas less opportunity to appear in formal occasions.
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