Seminar on Endangered Languages

Writing Systems

Writing SystemsWriting Systems

Different Writing SystemsDifferent Writing Systems What makes a writing systemWhat makes a writing system Standardization vs Historical artifactsStandardization vs Historical artifacts Constructed Writing SystemsConstructed Writing Systems Computing and its influence on writingComputing and its influence on writing

Types of Writing SystemsTypes of Writing Systems

Sampson 1985: “Writing Systems”Sampson 1985: “Writing Systems”– Logographic systems: ChineseLogographic systems: Chinese– Phonographic Systems:Phonographic Systems:

• Syllabic: Linear BSyllabic: Linear B• Consonantal: West SemiticConsonantal: West Semitic• Segmental: GreekSegmental: Greek• Featural: HangulFeatural: Hangul

History of WritingHistory of Writing

Earliest writing systemsEarliest writing systems

– Mesopotamia around 3200BCEMesopotamia around 3200BCE– Mesoamerica around 600BCEMesoamerica around 600BCE– China around 1200BCEChina around 1200BCE

But there is considerable controversyBut there is considerable controversy More than numbersMore than numbers

– Markings, counting beads ...Markings, counting beads ... More than painting pictures/signsMore than painting pictures/signs

Writing DevelopmentWriting Development Picture WritingPicture Writing

– Represent actual objects, times, etcRepresent actual objects, times, etc TransitionalTransitional

– Representing the abstract ideasRepresenting the abstract ideas– Yukaghir example: is it writing?Yukaghir example: is it writing?

PhonologicalPhonological– Represent things with similar soundRepresent things with similar sound

Writing UsesWriting Uses Taxes, taxes and taxesTaxes, taxes and taxes

– Record who owns what when Record who owns what when – How much you have to payHow much you have to pay

Rules, religionsRules, religions– Laws (Hammurabi ~1770BCE)Laws (Hammurabi ~1770BCE)– Fortune telling (Oracle Bones ~1300BCE)Fortune telling (Oracle Bones ~1300BCE)

Histories/LiteratureHistories/Literature– Early authors whose names we knowEarly authors whose names we know– Ptahhotep (Egypt) and Enheduanna Ptahhotep (Egypt) and Enheduanna

(Sumerian) 2400BCE(Sumerian) 2400BCE

What things are writing?What things are writing?

Known writing systems follow Zipf's LawKnown writing systems follow Zipf's Law– Some things are very frequentSome things are very frequent– Some things are very infrequentSome things are very infrequent

But things that follow Zipf's Law may or may not But things that follow Zipf's Law may or may not be writingbe writing

– Indus ScriptIndus Script– Amish Barn SymbolsAmish Barn Symbols– Linear ALinear A

How is Writing DoneHow is Writing Done

Often influenced by the mediumOften influenced by the medium– Cuneiform – easy to cut in stone/paperCuneiform – easy to cut in stone/paper– Cursive script (Cursive script ( 書法書法 ))

Often borrow someone else's scriptOften borrow someone else's script– Chinese Characters for JapaneseChinese Characters for Japanese– Latin script for VietnameseLatin script for Vietnamese– Latin script for EnglishLatin script for English

DirectionDirection

Left to right: English Left to right: English Right to left: ArabicRight to left: Arabic Vertical (right to left): Chinese/JapaneseVertical (right to left): Chinese/Japanese Boustrophedon (like an ox)Boustrophedon (like an ox)

– Left to right to left: Ancient GreekLeft to right to left: Ancient Greek Direction the faces look: MayanDirection the faces look: Mayan

Script can become stylizedScript can become stylized

Script can become stylizedScript can become stylized

土 土 火 火 水 風水 風

Stylized DecorativeStylized Decorative

Stylized not so decorativeStylized not so decorative

Alphabetic OrderAlphabetic Order How does this occur?How does this occur?

– Well its the order of the alphabetWell its the order of the alphabet– Phonetic (ish) OrderingPhonetic (ish) Ordering– By tables (Sanskrit, Japanese Kana)By tables (Sanskrit, Japanese Kana)

By unicode/ascii order By unicode/ascii order – (That came later)(That came later)

By order of the stars/KingsBy order of the stars/Kings

Writing DistinctionsWriting Distinctions Upper and Lower CaseUpper and Lower Case

– Case was the printer's caseCase was the printer's case– (why do European languages have this)(why do European languages have this)

Language origin spelling artifactsLanguage origin spelling artifacts– Ph and gh in English (Greek, Germanic)Ph and gh in English (Greek, Germanic)– Silent initial w and kSilent initial w and k– Wales vs WhalesWales vs Whales– Japanese (Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana)Japanese (Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana)

Writing causes StandardizationWriting causes Standardization Removal of previously supported lettersRemoval of previously supported letters Ye Olde …Ye Olde …

– ÞÞ deleted from alphabet so replaced with y deleted from alphabet so replaced with y– So “Ye” is still pronounced “the”So “Ye” is still pronounced “the”

Menzies, Culzean, DalzellMenzies, Culzean, Dalzell– Ȝ deleted from alphabet so replaced with zȜ deleted from alphabet so replaced with z– (mostly old Scots names)(mostly old Scots names)

Often printing encourages more standardizationsOften printing encourages more standardizations– Æ, ß (“f” in English and ss in German)Æ, ß (“f” in English and ss in German)

But new letters tooBut new letters too– @ & % (its about taxes again)@ & % (its about taxes again)

Writing causes StandardizationWriting causes Standardization Removes dialectal variationsRemoves dialectal variations

– Jail vs gaol Jail vs gaol – Tuppence, thruppenceTuppence, thruppence

Back correction of pronunciationBack correction of pronunciation– ForeheadForehead– Awry, indictment Awry, indictment

Constructed Writing SystemsConstructed Writing Systems

HangulHangul– Phonetically definedPhonetically defined– Configurable blocksConfigurable blocks– 11,172 mathematical possibilities11,172 mathematical possibilities

Source: wikipedia.orgSource: wikipedia.org

““New” writing systemsNew” writing systems

VietnameseVietnamese– Up to 19Up to 19thth Century Hanzi based Century Hanzi based– Replaced with Romanization plus diacriticsReplaced with Romanization plus diacritics

GaelicGaelic– Did match (19Did match (19thth Century) pronunciation Century) pronunciation

Ojibwe (Anishinaabe/Chippewa)Ojibwe (Anishinaabe/Chippewa)– (19ᓂᔑᓈᐯᒧᐎᓐ (19ᓂᔑᓈᐯᒧᐎᓐ thth Century) Century)

Musical notationMusical notation

AAC LanguagesAAC Languages

MinspeakMinspeak

BlissymbolsBlissymbols

Contemporary Writing InfluencesContemporary Writing Influences

New writing systems emerging from new New writing systems emerging from new devices and communication patternsdevices and communication patterns emojiemoji

Source: iemoji.comSource: iemoji.com

Contemporary Writing InfluencesContemporary Writing Influences

Computer/Typewriter influencedComputer/Typewriter influenced– ““two spaces” between sentencestwo spaces” between sentences– not in unicode so can't use itnot in unicode so can't use it– New symbols :-)New symbols :-)– 'Labelling' is now 'labeling''Labelling' is now 'labeling'

Contemporary Writing InfluencesContemporary Writing Influences

All input is romanizedAll input is romanized– Indic languagesIndic languages– Chinese, Japanese use roman as inputChinese, Japanese use roman as input

Many languages have romanized versionMany languages have romanized version– Arabizi, GreeklishArabizi, Greeklish– RomanagariRomanagari