Yesterday I completed studying Tim Brookes’ new ebook, Writing Past Writing – Classes from Endangered Alphabets, which I discovered very fascinating and would throughly advocate to anyone who’s fascinating in writing programs and language.

One of many questions requested within the ebook is ‘What’s writing?’

Based on the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, writing is

‘letters or characters that function seen indicators of concepts, phrases, or symbols’.

Based on the The Free Dictionary, writing is:

‘a gaggle of letters or symbols written or marked on a floor as a way of speaking concepts by making every image stand for an thought, idea, or factor, through the use of every image to characterize a set of sounds grouped into syllables (syllabic writing), or by concerning every image as corresponding roughly or precisely to every of the sounds within the language (alphabetic writing).’

Different definitions can be found.

Writing programs are usually regarded as methods to characterize the sounds and phrases of language in varied methods. Nonetheless, there are types of graphic communication that don’t characterize sounds or phrases, however somewhat concepts, feelings, music, arithmetic, time, and so forth.

In his ebook, Tim Brookes means that these graphical varieties may very well be considered types of writing, and that letters and different symbols from writing programs can be utilized in ornamental, ritualistic and different methods the place representing a selected sound or phrase will not be their principal objective.

For instance, there’s a assortment of symbols often known as Adinkra which originated with the Gyaman folks of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, and which had been initially printed onto garments worn by royalty at necessary ceremonies. They now seem on garments, furnishings, sculptures and in varied different locations, and are used as logos.

Every image could have a wide range of meanings. Listed below are some examples:

Supply: Adinkra Symbols & Meanings

See additionally: https://www.adinkraalphabet.com/adinkra-symbols/

An alphabet based mostly on these symbols, referred to as Adinkra, was just lately created by Charles M. Korankye.

See additionally: https://www.adinkraalphabet.com/

One writing system talked about within the ebook is the Silabario Amazónico, which was created in 2016 by Juan Casco, a graphic designer, typographer and visible artist from Ecuador. It’s based mostly on graphic symbols utilized in South America and can be utilized to jot down indigenous Amazonian and Andean languages, resembling Kichwa, Waorani, and Aymara.

It appears to be like like this:

Supply: https://www.behance.internet/gallery/79435301/Silabario-Amazonico

I’ve put collectively a web page about it on Omniglot, and have contacted Juan Casco to test if he’s okay with me doing so. It’s not public but, however you may see it at: https://www.omniglot.com/conscripts/silam.htm.

By the best way, Tim Brookes’ Endangered Alphabets Venture was impressed by Omniglot. See additionally the Atlas of Endangered Alphabets.