The writing systems of the world
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The writing systems of the world
（The language library）
B. Blackwell, 1989
Available at / 60 libraries
-
No Libraries matched.
- Remove all filters.
Note
Bibliography: p. [274]-289
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
This book is ana account of writing systems from ancient times to the present. It traces the evolution from the iconic precursors of writing through stylized and abstract pictograms to purely arbitrary phonetic symbols. Among the sdubjects covered are Egyptian hieroglyphics and the cuneiform systems of the Near East, the persistence of the apparently cumbersome system of Chinese writing, the semitic languages of Western Asia and the Middle east, early Indian languages and the various alphabets that had their origins in pre-classical Greece. Within these contexts the author considers how scripts are deciphered, the way scripts relate to spoken languages, and the question of orthographic regularity. The author argues that writing is not merely a system of notation, but has a potent influence on the language itself.
Table of Contents
- Theoretical perspectives
- writing systems
- practical issues
- conclusion. Appendices: ancient Near Eastern chronology
- Far Eastern chronology.
by "Nielsen BookData"
