Graphematics as part of a modular theory of phonographic writing systems

Abstract

Abstract In writing system research, several scholars assume the existence of a component called “graphematics” (or a similar expression). Depending on the theoretical background, the concepts named in this way differ to quite a large extent, although in all cases graphematics is seen as related to, and at the same time different from, orthography. In this article, I want to discuss some of these different notions. The central aim, then, is to sketch a specific theoretical framework for the analysis of phonographic writing systems that distinguishes between two constituting modules of writing systems that build on each other. They are termed graphematics on the one hand and systematic orthography on the other. The model so far elaborates on data of German in the first place but could well be transferred to the study of other phonographic writing systems. The model is framed in the branch of linguistics that investigates properties of language as a system, as opposed to the branch that delves into the study of the use of such a system.