1. The Development of Writing
Cave Drawings
About 20,000 years ago; to record events
Pictograms
Ideograms
Logograms
Rebus Writing
Syllabic Writing
Alphabetic Writing

2. Pictograms A form of picture writing
Using pictures to represent particular images in a consistent way (symbol = picture of a thing)
A conventional relationship must exist between the symbol and its meaning
Not arbitrary; language independent
Not represent words or sounds in a lang.
Examples: star =
sun =
bathroom signs =

3. Ideograms A system of “idea writing”
more abstract relationship (symbol = an idea, but not a concrete object)
more arbitrary (in terms of form & meaning)
more derived forms
Not represent words or sounds in a lang.
Example:
for “sun”, also “heat”
Egyptian writing for water:
明 = “bright”

4. Logograms A system of word writing Examples advantage and disadvantage
symbols represent words or morphemes in a particular language [sound + meaning]
grapheme = a concept; the smallest unit in a writing system
Examples
cuneiform writing: used by the Sumerians, referred to as the earliest writing system
cuneiform = wedge-shaped (Yule 11)
Chinese characters (but only represent meaning of words, not of sounds of spoken lang.)
advantage and disadvantage

5. Rebus Writing
A process (or a way) of using existing symbols to represent the sounds of lang.
borrow the symbol, take over the sound, but forget the meaning
reduce the number of symbols needed in a writing system
Examples
a non-English example:
in language games:

6. Syllabic Writing (Syllabary)
Every symbol represents one syllable
grapheme = syllable
e.g., Japanese (which also uses logographic characters—Kanji)
Examples in Japanese
Hiragana: ひと　（hito） 　の　（no） くるま （kuruma ）
Katakana:
　　 Kanji: 人の車
たまご　（tamago） “egg”

7. Alphabetic Writing Symbols represent single phonemes Examples
grapheme = phoneme (i.e., symbols represent single phonemes)
definition of “letter” (each written symbol) vs. “alphabet” (a set of written symbols) (Yule 13)
Examples
alphabets representing mainly consonants: e.g., Arabic, Hebrew
alphabets representing both consonants & vowels: e.g., Greek

8. Conclusion
Cave drawings pictograms ideograms logograms (phonological) rebus writing syllabic writing alphabetic writing
Writing systems seem to have gone from syllabaries to alphabets representing mainly consonants, to alphabets representing both consonants and vowels.
This reflects the phonemic nature of lang., so can be considered a natural development—though not a necessary one or a “better” one.