LGCS117 PO - Writing Systems

When Offered: Irregularly
Instructor(s): T. Cook
Credit: 1

This course presents a survey of the ways human languages are represented in writing, both historically and in the present day. We will examine the origins of writing in Sumer, China, and Mesoamerica, and how these systems have changed over time. Typologically, we will study systems in which symbols represent a) concepts or ideas, b) individual words, c) syllables, and d) sounds. Students will try their hand at decipherment, and engage with questions of how written representation affects our understanding of language. Beginning with ~3500BC, we will conclude with the rise of internet-based communication and emoji.