This page gives the schedule of topics and assigned readings for Linguistics 115: Writing Systems at the University of Pennsylvania. The basic readings are from the Gnanadesikan textbook, The Writing Revoluation, by chapter; online readings are listed with direct links to either html or pdf files. These may be updated during the semester, so check back every week. Other relevant pages are the syllabus, glossary, phonetic symbols, study guide, and course description.
The notes and pictures that are used in lectures are all available on the web for study and review by students in the course; simply click on the links in this schedule. These pages are password-protected because many of the images are copyrighted and fair use restricts them to students in the course. Type the username and password given out in class when prompted by your web browser (contact the professor or the TA if you need help). Without this information, you will not be able to access the links below. Also, be sure that your browser is Unicode compatible.
Links to lecture notes will typically not become usable until just before the relevant week (no later than Sunday evening); links to homework and answers are usable according to the schedule of assignments. There is no class on September 5 (Labor Day), October 10 (Fall Break), or November 23 (the day before Thanksgiving). There are recitation sections the first week of class (Sept 9).
| Week 1 | What is writing? | ||
| Sept 5 | No class: Labor Day |
Homework 1 |
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| Sept 7 | Typology Transliteration Greek |
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| Week 2 | Mesopotamian cuneiform | ||
| Sept 12 | Background Structure |
Homework 2 |
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| Sept 14 | Structure (cont.) Texts |
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| Week 3 | Egyptian hieroglyphs | ||
| Sept 19 | Background Earliest writing |
Homework 3 |
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| Sept 21 | Structure Texts |
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| Week 4 | Maya hieroglyphs | ||
| Sept 26 | Background Structure |
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Homework 4 |
| Sept 28 | Structure (cont.) Texts (Other systems) |
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| Week 5 | Chinese morphosyllabic writing | ||
| Oct 3 | Language Historical development |
Homework 5 |
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| Oct 5 | Structure Morphemes |
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| Week 6 | Japanese writing: A mixed system | ||
| Oct 10 | No class: Fall Break |
No homework due next week. |
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| Oct 12 | Language Kanji |
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| Week 7 | Japanese (continued); Phonographic writing in East Asia | ||
| Oct 17 | Kana Text |
No homework due next week. |
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| Oct 19 | Yi and Vietnamese Korean |
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| Week 8 | Syllabic writing | ||
| Oct 24 | Midterm (see answers) |
Homework 6 |
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| Oct 26 | Syllabaries Cherokee and Cree Linear B, Cypriot, Texts (Undeciphered) |
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| Week 9 | Alphasyllabic systems | ||
| Oct 31 | Indus Valley Early Indic |
Homework 7 |
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| Nov 2 | Indic descendents Ethiopic Texts |
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| Week 10 | Consonantal writing | ||
| Nov 7 | Early alphabets Further developments |
Homework 8 |
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| Nov 9 | Modern alphabets Texts |
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| Week 11 | The alphabetic principle in Greece | ||
| Nov 14 | Transmission Epichoric alphabets |
Homework 9 |
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| Nov 16 | Classical
writing Descendent alphabets (More inscriptions) |
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| Week 12 | The alphabet in Italy | ||
| Nov 21 | Etruscan Latin |
No homework due next week. Thanksgiving Break, |
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| Nov 23 | No class: Thanksgiving Break |
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| Week 13 | English orthography | ||
| Nov 28 | Runes Old English Middle English |
Homework 10 |
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| Nov 30 | Modern English The alphabet |
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| Week 14 | Implications of literacy | ||
| Dec 5 | Written language
and literacy |
Study for the final exam. |
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| Dec 7 | Vai literacy | ||
| Final exam | |||
Wednesday, |
12–2 pm | 314 College Hall |
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