语言学第八章The Writing System PPT.ppt

Chapter 8The Writing System 1004180 I owe nothing; for I ate nothing． “我什么没吃, 所以不欠什么。” What is writing? Writing is a sign that used to record information, and it can turn the auditory elements into visual ones. It is a semiotic system for recording language, and it is one of the most important tools for human communication. Characteristics of Writing Brain – language – writing The materials it uses are writing signals, which must be sensed by eyes. It plays the role of an assistant to speech for communication. Spoken language may be limited by space and time, while writing can record the speech of the ancient people and can transmit the message to far-away places. Spoken language is a unique feature of a nation, while writing is not. The History of writing 1) The origin of writing 2) Development of writing Pictogram age Ideogram age Alphabetic writing Pictogram age: it is an inscription which represents the features of a physical object. Many Chinese characters derived from pictograms. Ideogram age: During this period, people extended the meaning of pictogram. The script can refer to not only these concrete things but also some abstract ideas. Electronic writing Electronic writing --- it may take visual and auditory information as its assistant devices for better expression. In cyberspace, people communicate with each other via E-mails, bulletin board system (BBS), or internet relay chat (IRC). HELLO! HELLO! HELLO! Acronym system ur( your), nite (night), f2f (face-to-face) np (no problem), imho ( in my humble opinion) CU (see you)… The writing system Morphemic writing system 形素文字系统 Syllabic writing system 音节文字系统 Alphabetic writing system 拼音文字系统 The reformation of writing system Two ways to conduct the reformation of the writing system: 1）to change the word formation rules or writing orders 2）to make thorough change in its wording construction or use an alternative alphabetic system to replace the original