The nature of writing
This system of symbols represents language and must be formally learned, unlike speech.
What is Writing?
This writing system, developed about 5,000 years ago, is considered the first clear writing system.
What is Cuneiform?
In this system, one symbol represents a whole word.
What is a logographic system?
According to the reading, writing systems most often spread through these forces.
What are religion and trade?
Writing can influence language by spreading these borrowed words between cultures.
What are loanwords
These early cave drawings were visual records but not true writing because they did not systematically represent language.
What are cave drawings?
Writing first appeared roughly this many years ago.
What is about 5,000 years ago?
This type of writing uses symbols to represent sounds, like “2” for “to” and “U” for “you.”
What is rebus writing?
This famous phrase summarizes the connection between religion and writing spread
What is “the alphabet follows religion”?
This phenomenon happens when people pronounce words based on spelling rather than historical speech.
What is spelling pronunciation?
These ancient images recorded events but are considered precursors rather than true writing because they did not encode language systematically.
What are cave paintings
According to the readings, writing did NOT evolve in this simple straight-line way.
What is a linear or unidirectional evolution?
In this system, one symbol represents one syllable, and Japanese partially uses it.
What is a syllabic writing system?
The spread of this alphabet across Europe was closely tied to Christianity and the Roman Empire.
What is the Latin alphabet?
Writing helps create this by fixing one variety of a language as the “correct” form.
What is standardization?
This term describes writing as shaped by tradition, habit, and social norms rather than pure efficiency.
What is cultural product?
Writing was independently invented at least this many separate times in human history.
What if four?
This type of symbol represents ideas or concepts rather than specific objects.
What is an ideogram?