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 ...
Read More
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.
Read Less
Add this copy of The Writing Systems of the World to cart. $8.19, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1989 by Blackwell Publishers.
Add this copy of The Writing Systems of the World (the Language Library) to cart. $37.83, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hialeah, FL, UNITED STATES, published 1989 by B. Blackwell.
Add this copy of The Writing Systems of the World (the Language Library) to cart. $106.90, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1989 by B. Blackwell.
