Written language
Instead, it is a separate system with its own norms, structures, and stylistic conventions, and it often evolves differently than its corresponding spoken or signed language.
Written languages serve as crucial tools for communication, enabling the recording, preservation, and transmission of information, ideas, and culture across time and space.
A society's use of written language generally has a profound impact on its social organization, cultural identity, and technological profile.
As a result, the written form of a language may retain archaic features or spellings that no longer reflect contemporary speech.
[15] An ancient Mesopotamian poem tells a tale about the invention of writing: Because the messenger's mouth was heavy and he couldn't repeat, the Lord of Kulaba patted some clay and put words on it, like a tablet.
[17] The first known true writing systems were developed during the early Bronze Age (late 4th millennium BCE) in ancient Sumer, present-day southern Iraq.
This system, known as cuneiform, was pictographic at first, but later evolved into an alphabet, a series of wedge-shaped signs used to represent language phonemically.
[18] At roughly the same time, the system of Egyptian hieroglyphs was developing in the Nile valley, also evolving from pictographic proto-writing to include phonemic elements.
[21] The development and use of written language has had profound impacts on human societies, influencing everything from social organization and cultural identity to technology and the dissemination of knowledge.
[15] Plato (c. 427 – 348 BCE), through the voice of Socrates, expressed concerns in the dialogue "Phaedrus" that a reliance on writing would weaken one's ability to memorize and understand, as written words would "create forgetfulness in the learners' souls, because they will not use their memories".
He further argued that written words, being unable to answer questions or clarify themselves, are inferior to the living, interactive discourse of oral communication.
[22] Written language facilitates the preservation and transmission of culture, history, and knowledge across time and space, allowing societies to develop complex systems of law, administration, and education.
Firstly, it underpins success in formal education, where the ability to comprehend textbooks, write essays, and interact with written instructional materials is fundamental.
High literacy skills can lead to better academic performance, opening doors to higher education and specialized training opportunities.
[25][better source needed] Literacy enables additional ways for individuals to participate in civic life, including understanding news articles and political debates to navigating legal documents.
Socio-economic status, race, gender, and geographic location can all influence an individual's access to quality literacy instruction.
Addressing these disparities through inclusive and equitable education policies is crucial for promoting social mobility and reducing inequality.
Therein, McLuhan argued that the invention and spread of the printing press, and the shift from oral tradition to written culture that it spurred, fundamentally changed the nature of human society.
Some scholars argue that he overemphasized the role of the medium (in this case, written language) at the expense of the content of communication.
[36] Writing systems can be broadly classified into several types based on the units of language they correspond with: namely logographic, syllabic, and alphabetic.
