Summary of "Writing Systems: Crash Course Linguistics #16"
Summary of Writing Systems: Crash Course Linguistics #16
This final episode of Crash Course Linguistics, hosted by Taylor, explores the nature, history, and diversity of writing systems as technologies for representing language. It highlights how writing systems differ from spoken or signed language and how they have evolved in response to linguistic, cultural, technological, and political factors.
Main Ideas and Concepts
Writing vs. Language
All human societies have language (spoken or signed), but writing is a technology invented independently in different places and is not universal for all languages.
Writing System (Orthography)
A writing system is a set of conventions used to represent a language in writing, consisting of:
- Symbols (graphemes)
- What the symbols represent (sounds, syllables, words)
Types of Writing Systems Based on What Graphemes Represent
-
Alphabet (Phonemic writing) Each grapheme represents a single sound (phoneme).
- Examples: Latin alphabet (English, Finnish, Vietnamese, Swahili), Cyrillic (Russian, Bulgarian), Greek
- Complications:
- Accent marks and combined graphemes (e.g., English “th”, “sh”, “ch”)
- Language change over time (silent letters like “k” in “knee”)
- Borrowed words retaining original spellings
- Pronunciation variation vs. standardized spelling
- Distinction:
- Alphabets proper: symbols for all phonemes
- Abjads: primarily consonants represented, vowels often omitted (e.g., Arabic, Hebrew)
-
Syllabary Each grapheme represents a syllable rather than individual sounds.
- Example: Nāgarī-based scripts in India (symbols for “ka”, “ga”, with modifications for vowels like “ki”, “ko”)
-
Logographic systems Each grapheme represents a whole word or morpheme.
- Example: Chinese characters (each character stands for a word or syllable, independent of pronunciation)
- Some systems combine methods, e.g., Japanese uses kanji (logographic) plus kana (syllabary)
Suitability of Writing Systems to Languages
- Semitic languages fit well with abjads due to consonantal root structures
- Languages with limited syllable possibilities (e.g., Inuktitut) suit syllabaries
- Tradeoffs exist: alphabets are easier to learn; logographic systems can be more compact and cross-dialectal
Influence of Tools and Mediums
Writing forms are influenced by materials and tools used:
- Stone carving → angular shapes (e.g., Roman script)
- Brush and ink → flowing shapes (e.g., Chinese script)
- Quipu (Inca knotted strings) may represent a non-written recording system
History and Origins of Writing
Writing is much younger than spoken language (which dates back 50,000–200,000 years). It was likely invented independently three times:
-
Mesopotamia (~4,500 years ago): Sumerian cuneiform on clay tablets
- Influenced Egyptian hieroglyphs → Phoenician alphabet → Greek → Latin alphabet
-
China (~3,500 years ago): Oracle Bone Script on bones and shells, evolved into modern Chinese characters
-
Mesoamerica (~3,000 years ago): Olmec glyphs combining logograms and syllables; Mayan script best deciphered
Evolution and Borrowing of Writing Systems
- Latin alphabet borrowed and adapted repeatedly, changing to fit languages and technologies
- Example: Letter B evolved from Bēt meaning ‘house’; Phoenician wāw gave rise to multiple English letters (F, U, V, W, Y)
- Technological constraints affected spelling (thorn and eth replaced by “th” and “y” due to printer limitations)
Invented Writing Systems
Some writing systems were created deliberately and independently:
- Cherokee syllabary by Sequoyah (early 1800s)
- Hangul by King Sejong (1443), designed to reflect mouth positions for Korean phonemes
Political and Social Influences on Writing
- Script reforms tied to political changes (e.g., Turkish switch from Arabic to Latin script in 1928)
- Noah Webster’s American English spelling reforms (e.g., “color” vs. “colour”)
- Spelling standardization largely began with the printing press, though spelling still reflects historical pronunciations
Contemporary Evolution of Writing
- Internet and social media have democratized writing, leading to creative respelling, use of emojis, gifs, and other visual cues to convey tone and nuance
- New technologies enable bypassing writing altogether for some languages, especially signed languages, via audio/video communication
Final Reflection
Language is a collaborative human project evolving constantly. Linguistic curiosity involves thinking about how language is expressed, not just what is said.
Detailed Methodology / Instructional Points
- Identify the graphemes (symbols) and their linguistic units (phoneme, syllable, word/morpheme)
- Recognize the type of writing system (alphabet, abjad, syllabary, logographic) based on what graphemes represent
- Consider the historical, linguistic, and technological context influencing the system’s development and appearance
- Study archaeological evidence for proto-writing and early writing systems
- Track borrowing and adaptation of writing systems across cultures and time
- Note political and technological factors driving script reforms and changes
- Match writing system type to linguistic features of the language (e.g., consonantal roots, syllable inventory)
- Weigh tradeoffs between ease of learning, compactness, and cross-dialectal utility
- Monitor how digital communication influences writing conventions and orthographic innovation
- Recognize the role of new media in expanding or bypassing traditional writing
Speakers / Sources Featured
- Taylor – Host and narrator of the episode
- Thought Bubble – Segment providing historical context and time travel through writing system origins
- Historical figures and cultures referenced:
- Sequoyah (creator of Cherokee syllabary)
- King Sejong the Great (creator of Hangul)
- Noah Webster (American English spelling reformer)
- President Atatürk (Turkish script reform)
This episode provides a comprehensive overview of writing systems, their linguistic basis, historical development, cultural adaptations, and ongoing evolution in the digital age.
Category
Educational
