Luciano Perondi wrote:

> I think that in chinese could have the role of "atoms" also the basic
> strokes (bi hua), that form the elements such as "女" and "馬".

But the brush strokes do not bear any recognizable function. Such an
analysis is only visual, not functional. See my reply to P.T. Daniels.

> I think that it could be similar to Martinet's double articolation
> (doppia articolazione??? Marco help me!! : ) ),

"articUlation"
(But did Martinet really invent the term? I though that the "double
articulation" had already been used by de Saussure.)

_ Marco