LgBB01 Writing systems of the World

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Václav Blažek, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Václav Blažek, CSc.
Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Wed 14:00–15:40 K23, except Wed 17. 4.
Prerequisites
The course is prepared for everybody, who is interested in development of script. Together with structure of archaic scripts the elementary descriptions of some epigraphic languages are offered, namely Egyptian, Sumerian, Babylonian, Hittite.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course provides a comprehensive survey of origin and development of script from pictograms to alphabet. The spreading os various scripts are mapped in space and time. The concrete examples of decipherment of illustrate the basic stratiegies in this field. The examples of texts in transcription demonstrate the internal structure of texts of various type. The students should get the competences in analysis of texts, determination of the internal structure of scripts and its correspondence with the used languages.
Learning outcomes
The students acquaint structures of the most archaic systems of script (Egyptian hieroglyphic, cuneiform, Chinese hieroglyphic) and with development leading to alphabetic systems of script.
Syllabus
  • 1. Mesopotamia: from pictograms to cuneiform and its spreading in the Near East. 2. Egypt: hieroglyphs - hieratic - demotic. 3. Syllabic scripts of East Mediterranean: Linear A+B, Cypriotic, Luwian hieroglyphs. 4. Proto-Elamite and Proto-Indic pictograms. 5. Origin and development of script in China, its spreading outside of China (Korea, Japan). 6. Transformation of Egyptian hieroglyfic "alphabet" in semitic consonantic alphabets. 7. Aramaic script as a source of Indic syllabic and Central Asiatic consonant and alphabetic scripts. 8. Phoenician script as a source of Mediterranean alphabets. 9. Variants of the Greek alpabet as a source the alphabets of Asia Minor, Italy, Gothic, Armenian, Georgian, Cyrillic, Coptic and Nubian scripts. 10. Italic alphabets as a source of Ogham and Runic scripts. 11. Origin of script in America.
Literature
  • URBANOVÁ, Daniela & BLAŽEK, Václav. Národy starověké Itálie, jejich jazyky a písma. Brno 2008.
  • O další literatuře jsou studenti informováni ve výuce.
  • KRUPA, Viktor and Jozef GENZOR. Písma sveta. 1. vyd. Bratislava: Obzor, 1989, 358 s. ISBN 8021500115. info
  • FRIEDRICH, Johannes. Istorija pis'ma. Moskva: Nauka, 1979, 463 s. info
  • DOBLHOFER, Ernst. Od obrázkov k písmu : rozlúštěnie zabudnutých písiem a jazykov. 1. vyd. Bratislava: Obzor, 1972, 366 s. info
  • DIRINGER, David. Alfavit. Moskva: Izdatel'stvo inostrannoj literatury, 1963, 655 s. info
Teaching methods
Teacher presents the tree-diagrams, comparative tables of various scripts and finally together with students try to interpret chosen texts.
Assessment methods
The succesful output depends on a succesful decipherment of the text written in a known language, but unknown script.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2024/LgBB01