Pub Date : 2017-01-02DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2016.1220354
B. Piper, Agatha J. van Ginkel
ABSTRACT Reading research suggests that script type and writing systems have a relationship with children’s ability to recognise letters, syllables and words. In Ethiopia, the scripts used for writing language differ by visual complexity and the psycholinguistic grain size of the script. The Ge’ez-script languages have alphasyllabic-based writing systems, while the Latin-script languages have phoneme-based writing systems. These differences in script and the differences in aspects of the writing system influence early reading acquisition. We exploited a large, regionally representative data set assessing a variety of early reading tasks in six Ethiopian languages to estimate the impact of script and aspects of writing system differences on early reading outcomes in the areas of letter identification, word reading, non-word decoding and story reading. We made comparisons between language outcomes using Ge’ez and Latin scripts, controlling for student background and school socio-economic status (SES). Additional analyses compared across-script and writing system differences within regions and gender. We found that Ethiopian script and writing system differences have implications for instructional methods for letter identification and word decoding.
{"title":"Reading the script: How the scripts and writing systems of Ethiopian languages relate to letter and word identification","authors":"B. Piper, Agatha J. van Ginkel","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2016.1220354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2016.1220354","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Reading research suggests that script type and writing systems have a relationship with children’s ability to recognise letters, syllables and words. In Ethiopia, the scripts used for writing language differ by visual complexity and the psycholinguistic grain size of the script. The Ge’ez-script languages have alphasyllabic-based writing systems, while the Latin-script languages have phoneme-based writing systems. These differences in script and the differences in aspects of the writing system influence early reading acquisition. We exploited a large, regionally representative data set assessing a variety of early reading tasks in six Ethiopian languages to estimate the impact of script and aspects of writing system differences on early reading outcomes in the areas of letter identification, word reading, non-word decoding and story reading. We made comparisons between language outcomes using Ge’ez and Latin scripts, controlling for student background and school socio-economic status (SES). Additional analyses compared across-script and writing system differences within regions and gender. We found that Ethiopian script and writing system differences have implications for instructional methods for letter identification and word decoding.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"9 1","pages":"36 - 59"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2016.1220354","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46712192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-01-02DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2016.1227688
S. Chrisomalis
ABSTRACT How should we evaluate the merit of written numeral systems? The present ubiquity of the Hindu-Arabic (Western) numerals might suggest that narrow considerations of efficiency have promoted the convergence of numerical traditions on a single, superior solution. Comparing the historical evolution of numerical notations to the history of writing systems suggests, instead, that a host of social factors influence the adoption, transmission, retention and replacement of numeral systems. The wide range of contextual uses and functions of written numerals belie any simple explanation of the choices underlying their abandonment. Following the criteria outlined by Coulmas, a sociolinguistic model is proposed in which a wide variety of technical, graphic and cultural factors must be considered in order to fully explain the historical record.
{"title":"Re-evaluating merit: Multiple overlapping factors explain the evolution of numerical notations","authors":"S. Chrisomalis","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2016.1227688","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2016.1227688","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT How should we evaluate the merit of written numeral systems? The present ubiquity of the Hindu-Arabic (Western) numerals might suggest that narrow considerations of efficiency have promoted the convergence of numerical traditions on a single, superior solution. Comparing the historical evolution of numerical notations to the history of writing systems suggests, instead, that a host of social factors influence the adoption, transmission, retention and replacement of numeral systems. The wide range of contextual uses and functions of written numerals belie any simple explanation of the choices underlying their abandonment. Following the criteria outlined by Coulmas, a sociolinguistic model is proposed in which a wide variety of technical, graphic and cultural factors must be considered in order to fully explain the historical record.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"9 1","pages":"1 - 13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2016.1227688","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47337838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-01-02DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2016.1218748
Ibrahim A. Asadi, R. Ibrahim, A. Khateb
ABSTRACT This study aimed at examining the contribution of various cognitive and linguistic variables to spelling processes among native Arabic-speaking children from first to sixth grade. For this purpose, measures of phoneme awareness (PA), orthographic, morphological, lexical and syntactic knowledge were collected, together with working memory and speed of processing indexes. The analysis was conducted on a large and representative sample using path models. The results revealed that, together with the consistent contribution of PA and orthography, morphology played an important role in predicting spelling. Furthermore, our findings suggested that Arabic orthography, even the vowelised version which is considered as transparent (since it provides the reader with the full phonological information), behaved as other deep orthographies in spelling. These findings are discussed in the context of the unique characteristics of the Arabic language and its orthographic system.
{"title":"What contributes to spelling in Arabic? A cross-sectional study from first to sixth grade","authors":"Ibrahim A. Asadi, R. Ibrahim, A. Khateb","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2016.1218748","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2016.1218748","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This study aimed at examining the contribution of various cognitive and linguistic variables to spelling processes among native Arabic-speaking children from first to sixth grade. For this purpose, measures of phoneme awareness (PA), orthographic, morphological, lexical and syntactic knowledge were collected, together with working memory and speed of processing indexes. The analysis was conducted on a large and representative sample using path models. The results revealed that, together with the consistent contribution of PA and orthography, morphology played an important role in predicting spelling. Furthermore, our findings suggested that Arabic orthography, even the vowelised version which is considered as transparent (since it provides the reader with the full phonological information), behaved as other deep orthographies in spelling. These findings are discussed in the context of the unique characteristics of the Arabic language and its orthographic system.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"9 1","pages":"60 - 81"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2016.1218748","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47483258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-07-02DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2016.1225562
Seth Vitrano-Wilson
ABSTRACT Three experiments were performed to compare people reading word-spaced texts and syllable-spaced texts in Hmong Daw, using the Latin-script orthography known as RPA. The results showed no overall difference in reading speed between the two spacing styles when reading naturally connected stories, but did show advantages to syllable spacing when words were presented in isolation, and for sentences with polysyllabic words that had not appeared previously in the test. The results are contrary to the common untested assumption among linguists involved in orthography development that word spacing is the optimal spacing choice for all languages, and suggest that syllable spacing is a valid option for certain languages in the right sociolinguistic situations. The results also underline the importance of the syllable level for cognitive processing during reading.
{"title":"Reading syllable-spaced versus word-spaced text in Hmong Daw: breaking up isn’t so hard to do","authors":"Seth Vitrano-Wilson","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2016.1225562","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2016.1225562","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Three experiments were performed to compare people reading word-spaced texts and syllable-spaced texts in Hmong Daw, using the Latin-script orthography known as RPA. The results showed no overall difference in reading speed between the two spacing styles when reading naturally connected stories, but did show advantages to syllable spacing when words were presented in isolation, and for sentences with polysyllabic words that had not appeared previously in the test. The results are contrary to the common untested assumption among linguists involved in orthography development that word spacing is the optimal spacing choice for all languages, and suggest that syllable spacing is a valid option for certain languages in the right sociolinguistic situations. The results also underline the importance of the syllable level for cognitive processing during reading.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"8 1","pages":"234 - 256"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2016.1225562","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"60438296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-07-02DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2016.1177481
N. Stenson, T. Hickey
ABSTRACT Irish is well-known to be a threatened minority language, which has a number of under-researched features. This article presents an analysis of Irish orthography, based on the most frequent words in a corpus of children’s literature in Irish. We identify both basic orthographic rules and a few phonological rules that systematically alter pronunciations from those expected based on the orthographic norms. While comparison of Irish spelling patterns with those in a similar corpus for English confirms a widespread belief that the orthography of Irish is more regular than that of English (the L1 of most beginning readers of Irish), this analysis refutes the commonly accepted corollary assumption that explicit decoding instruction in Irish is unnecessary for learners already literate in English, based on further examination of other features differentiating the two languages. We argue that, despite its greater regularity, Irish spelling is sufficiently complex and distinct from English to challenge learners and require explicit instruction.
{"title":"When regular is not easy: Cracking the code of Irish orthography","authors":"N. Stenson, T. Hickey","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2016.1177481","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2016.1177481","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Irish is well-known to be a threatened minority language, which has a number of under-researched features. This article presents an analysis of Irish orthography, based on the most frequent words in a corpus of children’s literature in Irish. We identify both basic orthographic rules and a few phonological rules that systematically alter pronunciations from those expected based on the orthographic norms. While comparison of Irish spelling patterns with those in a similar corpus for English confirms a widespread belief that the orthography of Irish is more regular than that of English (the L1 of most beginning readers of Irish), this analysis refutes the commonly accepted corollary assumption that explicit decoding instruction in Irish is unnecessary for learners already literate in English, based on further examination of other features differentiating the two languages. We argue that, despite its greater regularity, Irish spelling is sufficiently complex and distinct from English to challenge learners and require explicit instruction.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"8 1","pages":"187 - 217"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2016.1177481","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"60438129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-07-02DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2016.1218747
Duo Liu, Xiaoqin Zhu
ABSTRACT The present study investigated the relations between some literacy-related cognitive skills and children’s performance in Chinese reading and writing at word level. A total of 128 Hong Kong Chinese children in third and fifth grades participated in this study. Rapid automatic naming (RAN) and morphological awareness accounted for unique variance in Chinese reading accuracy and reading fluency, while RAN and phonological awareness explained unique variance in Chinese spelling, after controlling for children’s age, non-verbal IQ and vocabulary. Moreover, the effects of RAN on reading fluency and spelling, as well as the effect of phonological awareness on spelling, remained significant, whereas the effect of morphological awareness on reading fluency became non-significant when reading accuracy was further controlled. These findings underscore the importance of RAN in Chinese children’s literacy development, and the potential different contributions of metalinguistic skills to Chinese word reading and writing.
{"title":"The associations of phonological awareness, morphological awareness, orthographic awareness and RAN with Hong Kong Chinese children’s literacy performance at word level","authors":"Duo Liu, Xiaoqin Zhu","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2016.1218747","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2016.1218747","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The present study investigated the relations between some literacy-related cognitive skills and children’s performance in Chinese reading and writing at word level. A total of 128 Hong Kong Chinese children in third and fifth grades participated in this study. Rapid automatic naming (RAN) and morphological awareness accounted for unique variance in Chinese reading accuracy and reading fluency, while RAN and phonological awareness explained unique variance in Chinese spelling, after controlling for children’s age, non-verbal IQ and vocabulary. Moreover, the effects of RAN on reading fluency and spelling, as well as the effect of phonological awareness on spelling, remained significant, whereas the effect of morphological awareness on reading fluency became non-significant when reading accuracy was further controlled. These findings underscore the importance of RAN in Chinese children’s literacy development, and the potential different contributions of metalinguistic skills to Chinese word reading and writing.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"8 1","pages":"218 - 233"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2016.1218747","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"60438189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-05-27DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2016.1174655
David Roberts, Stephen L. Walter
ABSTRACT The shorter a word, the more likely it is to be lexically ambiguous. In the toneless standard orthography of Kabiye, a language of Togo, numerous monosyllabic heterophonic homographs (tonal minimal pairs) and homophonic homographs occur in the imperative and six associated conjugations. This paper presents the complete catalogue of these verbs, and then examines them in natural contexts. It goes on to propose a morphographic spelling in which elided root-final labial consonants are written as superscript silent letters to help the reader identify the lexeme. This spelling is tested against a diacritic tonographic alternative in an oral reading experiment. The results show that those who learnt the morphographic spelling gained more in reading accuracy than those who learnt the tonographic spelling.
{"title":"Writing morphophonology, reading lexical tone: Linguistic and experimental evidence in favour of morphographic spelling in Kabiye (Togo)","authors":"David Roberts, Stephen L. Walter","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2016.1174655","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2016.1174655","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The shorter a word, the more likely it is to be lexically ambiguous. In the toneless standard orthography of Kabiye, a language of Togo, numerous monosyllabic heterophonic homographs (tonal minimal pairs) and homophonic homographs occur in the imperative and six associated conjugations. This paper presents the complete catalogue of these verbs, and then examines them in natural contexts. It goes on to propose a morphographic spelling in which elided root-final labial consonants are written as superscript silent letters to help the reader identify the lexeme. This spelling is tested against a diacritic tonographic alternative in an oral reading experiment. The results show that those who learnt the morphographic spelling gained more in reading accuracy than those who learnt the tonographic spelling.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"8 1","pages":"167 - 186"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2016.1174655","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"60437907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-05-23DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2016.1159539
S. Roncoli, J. Masterson
ABSTRACT We report a single-case intervention study of Alan, a child aged 10;04, who presented with spelling difficulty but good reading skills. Assessment of the potential cognitive functions underlying the spelling difficulty explored phonological abilities, visual memory and letter report. We also assessed print exposure and verbal memory. Results of analysis of spelling performance revealed an effect of word length on accuracy, and spelling errors involving omission, insertion, substitution and transposition of graphemes. Results of the literacy-related assessments indicated that Alan did not have a phonological or visual memory deficit, but he showed impaired performance in the letter-report task when asked to report all the letters in the five-item test array. On the basis of previous research, we hypothesised that Alan’s unexpectedly poor spelling was due to a graphemic buffer deficit. Two different interventions were employed: a lexical-orthographic programme, followed by one aimed at improving sublexical abilities. The results showed a significant increase in spelling accuracy after the lexical-orthographic intervention for the treated word set, and a small improvement for the untrained words that was significant at delayed post-intervention testing. The improvement was shown to persist over time. No improvement in spelling was observed after the sublexical intervention. The study emphasises the importance of a wide assessment in order to investigate cognitive processes underpinning spelling difficulty.
{"title":"‘Unexpected’ spelling difficulty in a 10-year-old child with good reading skills: An intervention case study","authors":"S. Roncoli, J. Masterson","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2016.1159539","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2016.1159539","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT We report a single-case intervention study of Alan, a child aged 10;04, who presented with spelling difficulty but good reading skills. Assessment of the potential cognitive functions underlying the spelling difficulty explored phonological abilities, visual memory and letter report. We also assessed print exposure and verbal memory. Results of analysis of spelling performance revealed an effect of word length on accuracy, and spelling errors involving omission, insertion, substitution and transposition of graphemes. Results of the literacy-related assessments indicated that Alan did not have a phonological or visual memory deficit, but he showed impaired performance in the letter-report task when asked to report all the letters in the five-item test array. On the basis of previous research, we hypothesised that Alan’s unexpectedly poor spelling was due to a graphemic buffer deficit. Two different interventions were employed: a lexical-orthographic programme, followed by one aimed at improving sublexical abilities. The results showed a significant increase in spelling accuracy after the lexical-orthographic intervention for the treated word set, and a small improvement for the untrained words that was significant at delayed post-intervention testing. The improvement was shown to persist over time. No improvement in spelling was observed after the sublexical intervention. The study emphasises the importance of a wide assessment in order to investigate cognitive processes underpinning spelling difficulty.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"8 1","pages":"143 - 166"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2016.1159539","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"60438313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-02-18DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2015.1114910
H. Taha
ABSTRACT The current study tested the impact of vowelisation on reading speed and accuracy of Arabic words among skilled and poor native Arabic readers using a cross-sectional procedure. One hundred and forty-three skilled and 146 poor native Arab readers from northern Israel (second, fourth and sixth grades) read two lists of full vowelised and non-vowelised words. The results indicate that among the readers, the non-vowelised words were read more accurately than the vowelised words. For the skilled poor readers, such significant differences were found within the older reader groups only (the fourth and sixth grades). Differences in the speed of reading vowelised and non-vowelised words were found within the older groups only in both groups of readers. The results are discussed in light of different approaches in the field of visual word recognition. It is suggested that vowelisation for skilled and older readers could cause a visual load during the process of the visual recognition of words and may be considered as ‘redundant information'.
{"title":"Deep and shallow in Arabic orthography: New evidence from reading performance of elementary school native Arab readers","authors":"H. Taha","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2015.1114910","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2015.1114910","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The current study tested the impact of vowelisation on reading speed and accuracy of Arabic words among skilled and poor native Arabic readers using a cross-sectional procedure. One hundred and forty-three skilled and 146 poor native Arab readers from northern Israel (second, fourth and sixth grades) read two lists of full vowelised and non-vowelised words. The results indicate that among the readers, the non-vowelised words were read more accurately than the vowelised words. For the skilled poor readers, such significant differences were found within the older reader groups only (the fourth and sixth grades). Differences in the speed of reading vowelised and non-vowelised words were found within the older groups only in both groups of readers. The results are discussed in light of different approaches in the field of visual word recognition. It is suggested that vowelisation for skilled and older readers could cause a visual load during the process of the visual recognition of words and may be considered as ‘redundant information'.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"8 1","pages":"133 - 142"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2015.1114910","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"60438249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-01-02DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2015.1016395
D. Share, P. Daniels
We contend that, contrary to Rimzhim, Katz and Fowler (2014), consonants and vowels in the Brahmi-derived scripts are not “on a par”, and, therefore, that it is inaccurate to depict these scripts as alphabetic. Furthermore, we consider the popular terminology “alphasyllabic” to be misleading because these scripts are neither alphabetic nor syllabic. We argue on historical grounds that Brahmi-derived scripts (the script family known as Indic) are in a category of their own and merit a unique descriptor such as “abugida”. We also consider the authors’ concept of orthographic depth to be problematic outside the context of European alphabets because orthographic depth across the full spectrum of the world's writing systems is multi-dimensional rather than uni-dimensional. We suggest that at least 10 dimensions of orthographic depth (or complexity) are needed to capture writing system diversity. Finally, we briefly discuss some educational implications of classification and mis-classification of writing systems.
{"title":"Aksharas, alphasyllabaries, abugidas, alphabets and orthographic depth: Reflections on Rimzhim, Katz and Fowler (2014)","authors":"D. Share, P. Daniels","doi":"10.1080/17586801.2015.1016395","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17586801.2015.1016395","url":null,"abstract":"We contend that, contrary to Rimzhim, Katz and Fowler (2014), consonants and vowels in the Brahmi-derived scripts are not “on a par”, and, therefore, that it is inaccurate to depict these scripts as alphabetic. Furthermore, we consider the popular terminology “alphasyllabic” to be misleading because these scripts are neither alphabetic nor syllabic. We argue on historical grounds that Brahmi-derived scripts (the script family known as Indic) are in a category of their own and merit a unique descriptor such as “abugida”. We also consider the authors’ concept of orthographic depth to be problematic outside the context of European alphabets because orthographic depth across the full spectrum of the world's writing systems is multi-dimensional rather than uni-dimensional. We suggest that at least 10 dimensions of orthographic depth (or complexity) are needed to capture writing system diversity. Finally, we briefly discuss some educational implications of classification and mis-classification of writing systems.","PeriodicalId":39225,"journal":{"name":"Writing Systems Research","volume":"8 1","pages":"17 - 31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17586801.2015.1016395","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"60438156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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