CMNS 110 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Logogram, Pictogram, Steven Thomas Fischer
25 Jan 2017
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Department
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Nikita Buekenhout
BUEND1503
Reading Summary 1- Scripting The Future by Steven Fischer
Variations of writing appeared between 3500-4000 BC in Mesopotamia. Other countries nearby
were influenced to make their own systems too. The three main writing systems are Logography,
Pictography and Alphabet. Over time logography became old to use and was set aside for
syllabic system, but alphabet is the dominating system today. The survival of language is
dependent on how many people continue to speak it. An important message is the writing
preserves language, so old scripts today exist today due to cultures and people being able to put
their knowledge and thought on a physical medium (like clay or stone) for future generations to
use. The brain compartmentalizes reading and speech differently, so thought are linked to
reading and has nothing to do with saying them. Being able to speak and being able to speak and
write are categorized on different levels in society giving way to Diglossia, dividing a society
into those who are educate and those who are not. For example you would have to be educated to
know the difference between words with one pronunciation but have different meanings to each
of them. Thus classifying people in society, like knowing how to speak is not enough you are
superior if you can speak and write. The English language is constantly changing, like old words
are being changed in a matter of spelling or new words are being added and this is possible by
people accepting the change. In 1970’s countries wanted to trade with each other so they wanted
a way to communicate with each other in a way everyone would understand (universal). This
was possible using Pictography as it was simple symbols accepted and understood by all, but a
disadvantage was they could not be precise and detailed in drawing certain things. Visual
language a mix of words and pictures, today is all around us sometimes it’s so simple and second
nature that we process it with no effort at all, like male female washroom symbols, but we cannot
use this alone to communicate or get our thought across to people as like pictography it is weak
in precision. Common spoken languages, like English, are most likely to survive in the coming
centuries as lot of people will use it, and not so common like within villages might not be so
Document Summary
Reading summary 1- scripting the future by steven fischer. Variations of writing appeared between 3500-4000 bc in mesopotamia. Other countries nearby were influenced to make their own systems too. Over time logography became old to use and was set aside for syllabic system, but alphabet is the dominating system today. The survival of language is dependent on how many people continue to speak it. The brain compartmentalizes reading and speech differently, so thought are linked to reading and has nothing to do with saying them. Being able to speak and being able to speak and write are categorized on different levels in society giving way to diglossia, dividing a society into those who are educate and those who are not. For example you would have to be educated to know the difference between words with one pronunciation but have different meanings to each of them.
