Chapter 7
Writing and Literacy
Dr. Harriet J. Ottenheimer
Writing Systems
• Writing and symbolism…
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•
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•
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– Universal symbols? Arbitrary symbols?
What is writing?…
How does writing work?…
Developing/having writing…
Literacy and representation…
Writing & Power….
What is Writing?
• Graphic representation of
language
• Generally considered secondary to
speech
• Complete vs partial writing
systems
– Complete: any and all thoughts and words
– Partial: limited in what they can convey.
How Does Writing Work?
• Using marks to represent sounds,
ideas/meanings
– Phonetic sign: mark that represents one or more
sounds
• <x>, <s>, etc.
– Semantic sign: mark that represents specific
idea/meaning
• <2> in English, French, German, KiSwahili, etc.
– Combining phonetic and semantic signs:
• <2nd> (English)
• <2e > (French).
What is wrong with this
picture?
1.
2.
3.
4.
The van is going the wrong direction
Center-kita is not a cool store name
You cannot have a first anniversary
First is abbreviated wrong.
25%
25%
25%
25%
The van is going the wrong direction
Center-kita is not a cool store name
You cannot have a first anniversary
First is abbreviated as 1st not 1th.
Kinds of Writing
Systems
• Contemporary classifications
– Recognize that all systems use
combinations
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Pictographic…
Rebus…
Logographic…
Alphabetic….
Pictographic “Writing”
• Pictures/images represent things
– drawing of a sun = the sun
• Pictographs alone are not complete
writing systems
– Meanings can be extended
• Drawing of a sun can = warmth
• Extensions require cultural context:
.
Rebus Writing
• Picture represents words that sound the
same:
– Drawing of the sun represents (in English):
• Sun and Son
• A major breakthrough in writing
– Allows for sentences like
• Eye sea ewe, Eye c u, Got 2 go
• Independently discovered in:
– Sumeria 3,000 BCE
– China 1,500 BCE
– Mayan America 0 BCE.
Logographic Writing
• Signs stand for words (or ideas)
• Also called Ideographic
– One sign = one word
• sign for sun = the spoken word “sun” [sn]
• @ sign = “at” (in English), “herring” (in Czech)
• May have evolved from pictographs
– Becoming more abstract over time.
Chinese sign for [ma] horse;
Sumerian sign for [an] star
Alphabetic Writing
• Signs stand for individual sounds
– e. g., consonants & vowels
• English sign <s> = the sound [s]
• Arabic sign <‫ = >س‬the sound [s]
• Arabic sign < َ > = the sound [a]
– Goal not always achieved:
• English sign <x> = [ks].
Beginnings of Alphabetic
Writing
• 17th century BCE
– Akkadians/Phoenecians adapt Sumerian
system
• 9th century BCE
– Greeks adapt Phoenecian system
• More vowels, fewer consonants
» Alpha-bet.
The Rosetta Stone 200 BCE
Hieroglyphic, Demotic, Greek
Developing/Having Writing
• Developing a writing system
– Linguistic issues
• How are words put together? CV, CCC, etc
– Political issues
• What does it mean to “have” writing?
– Association with “civilization”
– Cultural issues
• How might the culture change? (orality/literacy)…
– Issues of identity
• Spelling // in the Comoros
– French? Arabic? African? Phonemic?.
Writing and Literacy
• Measuring literacy
– In the Comoros
• In French
• In Comorian
– using what orthographic system????
• Promoting literacy
– So what is there to read?
• Material must be interesting.
Writing & Representation
• Questions of representation
– Rapid speech
– Dialectical speech
• couahfee; warsh, crick
• gonna - goin’ - gon’ - gwine
– Power and politics in representation
• Writing “Cousin Joe.”
Literacy and/vs Orality
• Writing vs listening
– Writing & listening at the same time?
• Written records vs oral traditions
– Proficiency in translations
• See signs & poster
http://www.ksu.edu/sasw/comoros/comoros.html
Creating a Language
• (optional)
• create an orthography for your
language.
Chapter 7
Writing and Literacy
• Compare & analyze similarities and
differences in writing systems between
you and your conversation partner.
– Obtain a text in the language of your
conversation partner and try to read it and
identify similarities in grammar and words
(lexicon).
– Read it out loud to your partner and address
the rules of grammar and pronunciation.
– In your journal describe these aspect and your
reaction to this activity.
Next:
• How and When is Language Possible?
– Read:
• Textbook Chapter 8
• Workbook/Reader:
– Ottenheimer & Ottenheimer (pp. 104-107)
– Prepare to do:
• Writing/Discussion Exercises (W/R p. 109)
• Language Creating (W/R p. 113)
• Conversation partnering (W/R p. 113).