Author Archives: ducky

About ducky

I'm a computer programmer professionally, currently working on mapping applications. I have been interested non-professionally for a long time in the effect on society on advances in communications technology -- things like writing, vowels, spaces between words, paper, etc.

Tocharian — 700 AD, N.W. China

Posted on March 24, 2011 by ducky

In the early part of the 20th century, archeologist Aurel Stein discovered manuscripts in northwestern China in a script that had been lost for centuries, in a language that which completely stunned the linguistic community. The first surprise was that … Continue reading →

Posted in Abugida, Rating: 5 "Whoa!!" | Leave a comment

Naxi Geba — 1200 AD? S. China

Posted on March 23, 2011 by ducky

Like its sibling (parent?) script, Naxi Dongba, Naxi Geba is highly idiosyncratic and used mostly for religious writings.  Unlike Naxi Dongba, Naxi Geba is a syllabary, but different people used different symbols for the same syllable. This makes it less … Continue reading →

Posted in now ceremonial, Rating: 3 "I did not know that", Syllabaries | 2 Comments

Naxi Dongba — 600AD? S. China

Posted on March 22, 2011 by ducky

Much like Aztec and Mixtec, Naxi Dongba is a highly pictographic communication system.  Like Aztec and Mixtec, it’s almost not a writing system.  If you look at a picture of the writing, it looks more like what we think of … Continue reading →

Posted in Logograms, now ceremonial, Rating: 5 "Whoa!!" | 3 Comments

Modern Yi — 1974 AD, China

Posted on March 21, 2011 by ducky

In 1974, the Chinese government decided to make a syllabary for the Yi language, based on the symbols in Classic Yi.  As with the Zhuang in the 1950s, it isn’t clear to me why if it was such a good … Continue reading →

Posted in Rating: 4 "Huh, interesting!", Syllabaries | Leave a comment

Taiwanese kana — ~1900 AD, Taiwan

Posted on March 20, 2011 by ducky

As a result of losing the first Sino-Japanese war, China had to cede Taiwan to Japan in 1895. The Japanese went through phases of let-the-Taiwanese-be-Taiwanese alternating with phases where they tried to assimilate the Taiwanese into Japanese culture. During one … Continue reading →

Posted in government-mandated, Rating: 4 "Huh, interesting!", Syllabaries | 3 Comments

Gaiji

Posted on March 19, 2011 by ducky

Many writing systems have a finite set of glyphs; you can write down a complete list and there are no others, except for the rare invention of new characters. But some writing systems have an open-ended set of glyphs; no … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Rating: 5 "Whoa!!" | Leave a comment

Tangut — 1036, China

Posted on March 18, 2011 by ducky

Like King Sejong did four hundred years later with Korean, Emperor Li Yuanhao of the Tangut told one of his advisors to make him a new writing system.  Yeli Renrong did, and quickly.  Yuanhao must have been more forceful than … Continue reading →

Posted in Logograms, Rating: 5 "Whoa!!" | Leave a comment

Classic Yi — 700? 1485? AD, China

Posted on March 17, 2011 by ducky

For a very long time, the Yi people used a logographic script to write their language. Their tradition says that it was created by someone named Aki in around 700 AD, but the earliest record is from 1485 AD. Mostly … Continue reading →

Posted in Logograms, Rating: 4 "Huh, interesting!" | 1 Comment

Zetian characters — 690 AD, China

Posted on March 16, 2011 by ducky

There was one female ruler of China, Wu Zetian, who, among other things, mandated use of around twenty new characters.  (These characters were presented to her by a junior relative, Zong Qinke, but she went along with it.) She took … Continue reading →

Posted in government-mandated, inventor known, Logograms, Rating: 5 "Whoa!!", significant female influence | 2 Comments

Sawndip — <689 AD, China

Posted on March 15, 2011 by ducky

The Zhuang people of southern China have been using an augmented Chinese script for over 1300 years called Sawndip.  This writing system was used extensively in popular culture (songs, poems, ceremonies, and some literature) and religion, but not governmental documents. … Continue reading →

Posted in Logograms, Rating: 4 "Huh, interesting!" | 4 Comments