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From:
Valerie Sutton Date: Tue Jun 30, 1998 10:05 am Subject: Re: Pictograms | |
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On Mon, Jun 8th, Joe Castronovo wrote: >>I completed my dissertation, "Reading Hidden Messages through Deciphered >>Manual Alphabets on Classic Artwork" just before my graduation last month. >>It mentioned pictographic, ideographic, alphabetic, ideographic components >>during my deciphering process of several types of scripts, but when it >>came to deciphering hand forms (uncovered as ancient manual alphabets) I >>classified them under a new branch: chirographic representation. My >>dissertation mentioned Sutton's development of SignWriting as a modern >>extension of that chirographic branch. >> >>I hope Valerie will be able to respond to this, too. >> >>Joseph Castronovo ___________________________________ And then on Mon, Jun 8th, Al Bickford wrote: 3) In an alphabetic system for a spoken language, each symbol represents one sound. By "sound", we mean something smaller than a syllable, like a consonant or vowel. If you ask what there is in a signed language that is analogous to consonants and vowels, the usual answer is that it is movements and holds. I'm not saying the analogy is exact; that's for signed language linguists to debate. But, it seems to me that each symbol in SignWriting represents something a lot smaller than a syllable, something that is more of the size of a consonant or vowel. So, although the fit is not exact, it seems like the term "alphabetic" seems to be the most appropriate way of describing SignWriting (and also, by the way, most other notation systems for signed languages, including Stokoe notation). Albert Bickford ____________________________________ June 30, 1988 Hi Joe and Albert... Thank you for the above discussion. It was really interesting to read your thoughts. Congratulations, Joe, on your dissertation. It seems that you have established a new meaning for the word "chirographic", and thank you for listing SignWriting under this new category. It will be interesting to see if the new term becomes widespread. The old term "chirography" means "handwriting". The word "chiro" stems from the Greek word for "hand". It really means "penmanship", and has nothing to do with manual alphabets or any language that uses the hands to communicate. In regards to SignWriting, and in keeping with Albert's perspective, I have always called it "the SignWriting alphabet". I also use the terms "pictorial alphabet", "visual alphabet" and "movement alphabet". Perhaps now we can call it a "chirographic alphabet" as well! I believe it is an alphabet, because SignWriting writes language in "units". The SignWriting symbols are not concepts, that are "body parts" and "movement arrows" etc. that are "pieced together" and the different combinations become "signs". And those signs mean different things in different signed languages. The same combination of positions and movements can mean one thing in one signed language and something totally different in another signed language. So people who know the language will attach their own meaning to the written "movement combinations". An example of this is the sign "to cook" in American Sign Language, which means "to translate languages" in Danish Sign Language - but the signs are written exactly the same, since the movements of the body are exactly the same. If you use ASL, you will attach one meaning to the sign...if you use DSL you will attach a different meaning to the same sign. I noticed this thread was entitled "Pictograms". I don't believe that SignWriting can be compared to "pictograms". Perhaps a linguist could help explain the difference - Thanks once again for the interesting discussion - All the best - Valerie Sutton :-) https://www.SignWriting.org Sutton at the DAC Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038-0517, USA (619)456-0098 voice (619)456-0010 tty (619)456-0020 fax |
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