unit 16. written language Flashcards
writing
we can define writing as the symbolic representation of language through the use of graphic signs, and unlike speech, it is a system, that it is not simply acquired, but has to be learned through sustained conscious effort.
in terms of human development, writing is a relatively recent phenomenon.
cuneiform
it’s the earliest writing for which we have clear evidence, marked on clay tablets about 5.000 years ago.
pictograms
pictograms is a symbol representing something through illustration, and the subject being illustrated may either be something tangible or physical, or the unseen or abstract.
ideograms
ideograms are graphical symbols that represent an idea.
¿what is the difference between pictograms and ideograms?
the distinction between pictograms and ideograms is essentially a difference in the relationship between the symbol and the entity it represents: the more picture-like forms are pictograms and the most abstract derived forms are ideograms.
a key property of both pictograms and ideograms is that they do not represent words or sounds in a particular language.
logograms
when symbols are used to represent words in a language, they are described as examples of word-writing, or logograms.
logograms are written or pictorial symbol intended to represent a whole word, which means that each symbol represent a word ($, 8, &).
the rebus principle
it is the idea that symbols could be used to represent the sounds of a language rather than represent real objects, and is one of the most significant ancient discoveries leading to the development of writing.
not only did this principle apply to the development of the ancient egyptian written language, but it was also the precursor to the development of the alphabets used in modern languages as well.
a rebus is a message spelt out in pictures that represents sounds rather than the things they are pictures of.
syllabic writing
a syllabic writing is when a writing system employs a set of symbols, each one representing the pronunciation of a syllable.
¿when did we find the full use of a syllabic writing system?
it was not until the time of the phoenicians, between 3.000 and 4.000 years ago.
many of the symbols that the phoenicians used were taken from earlier egyptian writing.
¿when did the phoenicians stop using logograms and had a fully developed syllabic writing system?
by about 3.000 years ago.
alphabet
it’s a set of written symbols, each one representing a single type of sound or phoneme.
cyrillic alphabet
it’s the basis of the writing system used in russia today.
digraph
a digraph is a combination of two letters consistently used for a single sound.
silent letters
letters which indicate the older pronunciation in our contemporary spelling of the word.
they also violate the one sound-one symbol principle of pure alphabetic writing but not with as much effect as the silent final -e of so many english words.
