01. Types of Writing Systems

Logographic Writing Systems

Definition: One symbol represents a word or morpheme (a unit of meaning).

Origin: Early Chinese writing, Shang dynasty oracle bones (~1200 BCE).

Oracle bone script inscription, Shang dynasty. Source: Academia Sinica / Wikimedia Commons.

Small seal script standardization, Qin dynasty. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Syllabary

Definition: One symbol represents a full syllable.

Origin: Mycenaean Greece (Linear B, ~1400 BCE); Japan (kana, ~9th c.).

Linear B clay tablet, Mycenaean Greek. Source: National Archaeological Museum, Athens / Wikimedia Commons.

Example of Hiragana script. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Alphabet

Definition: Symbols represent individual phonemes (sounds).

Origin: Phoenician alphabet (~1050 BCE), adapted by Greeks.

Plates from Gesenius's 1837 Scripturae Linguaeque Phoeniciae Monumenta. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Nazareth Inscription. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Abjad

Definition: Primarily consonants are written; vowels inferred or marked optionally.

Origin: Phoenician → Hebrew & Arabic traditions.

Unknown author - manuscript "Derek Emunah"; it once belonged to Jean Hurault (1517-1572). Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Abugida

Definition: Consonant symbols carry an inherent vowel, modified by diacritics.

Origin: Brahmi script, South Asia (~3rd c. BCE).

Source: Archaeological Survey of India / Wikimedia Commons.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Featural Writing System

Definition: Letter shapes encode phonetic features of sounds.

Origin: Korea, Hangul (1443 CE).

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Hybrid Systems

Definition: Multiple systems combined within one writing practice.

Origin: Japan (kanji + kana).

Modern Japanese text combining kanji and kana. Source: https://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp/hiragana_katakana.html