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EbookBell Team
4.4
72 reviews
ISBN 13: 9780521782173
Author: Florian Coulmas
During its long history the problem of reducing language to writing, and conversely that of interpreting written signs as language, has found a variety of solutions which still exist in the form of different writing systems. Written by a leading expert, this new textbook provides an accessible introduction to the major writing systems of the world, from cuneiform to English spelling. Florian Coulmas presents detailed descriptions of the world's writing systems and explains their structural complexities as well as the intricate relationship between written and spoken language. The book also provides a clear and engaging account of the history of writing and its consequences for human thought and literate society. This illustrated textbook includes questions for discussion at the end of each chapter, and an up-to-date explanation of theoretical issues. Clearly organised and engagingly written, it is the ideal textbook for use on courses on writing systems.
1 What is writing?
Aristotle
Liu Hsieh
Plato
Zen
Egypt
Massias
Contemporary views
Writing and linguistics
2 The basic options: meaning and sound
Visual perception
Auto-indexicality
Conventionality
The ideal of language neutrality
The ideal of faithful transcription
Real writing
3 Signs of words
Theoretical words
Logographic writing
Sumerian writing
Graphic structure
The signary
Linguistic structure
Chinese writing
4 Signs of syllables
Theoretical syllables
Signaries and statistics
Written syllables
Modern syllabaries
Ancient syllabaries
Cuneiform
Kana
Economy and accuracy
Questions for discussion
5 Signs of segments
Theoretical segments
Phonemes
Written segments
Uncertainty and polyvalence
Historical change
Systematic multifunctionality
Haphazard choices
Linguistic interpretation
Augmenting the Latin alphabet
6 Consonants and vowels
Differences between consonants and vowels
Semitic writing systems
Typological classification
Graphic development
Hebrew writing
Arabic writing
7 Vowel incorporation
Sources of descent
Structural design
Devanagari
Linguistic analysis
Tamil writing
Tibetan writing
8 Analysis and interpretation
Dissection and linearity
‘Correct Sounds for the Instruction of the People’
Iconicity
Syllable blocks
Conclusion
Questions for discussion
9 Mixed systems
Egyptian writing
Akkadian writing
Japanese writing
English writing
Conclusion
Questions for discussion
10 History of writing
Origin
Development
Spread
Conclusion
Questions for discussion
11 Psycholinguistics of writing
Reading
Word superiority
Phonological recoding
Reading acquisition
Research methods
Writing
12 Sociolinguistics of writing
Attitudes towards social practices of literacy
Attitudes towards (non)literate people
Attitudes towards the written code
Standardization
Diglossia
Digraphia
Tags: Florian Coulmas, Systems, Linguistic
