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 7 (Labor Day), October 19 (Fall Break), or November 25 (the day before Thanksgiving). There are recitation sections the first week of class (Sept 10 and 11).
| Week 1 | What is writing? | ||
| Sept 7 | No class: Labor Day |
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Homework 1 |
| Sept 9 | Typology Transliteration Greek |
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| Week 2 | Mesopotamian cuneiform | ||
| Sept 14 | Background Structure |
Homework 2 |
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| Sept 16 | Structure (cont.) Texts |
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| Week 3 | Egyptian hieroglyphs | ||
| Sept 21 | Background Earliest writing |
Homework 3 |
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| Sept 23 | Structure Texts |
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| Week 4 | Maya hieroglyphs | ||
| Sept 28 | Background Structure |
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Homework 4 |
| Sept 30 | Structure (cont.) Texts (Other systems) |
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| Week 5 | Chinese morphosyllabic writing | ||
| Oct 5 | Language Historical development |
Homework 5 |
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| Oct 7 | Structure Morphemes |
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| Week 6 | Japanese writing: A mixed system | ||
| Oct 12 | Language Kanji |
No homework due next week. |
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| Oct 14 | Kana Text |
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| Week 7 | Phonographic writing in East Asia | ||
| Oct 19 | No class: Fall Break |
No homework due next week. |
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| Oct 21 | Yi and Vietnamese Korean |
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| Week 8 | Syllabic writing | ||
| Oct 26 | Midterm (see answers) |
Homework 6 |
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| Oct 28 | Syllabaries Cherokee and Cree Linear B, Cypriot, Texts (Undeciphered) |
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| Week 9 | Alphasyllabic systems | ||
| Nov 2 | Indus Valley Early Indic |
Homework 7 |
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| Nov 4 | Indic descendents Ethiopic Texts |
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| Week 10 | Consonantal writing | ||
| Nov 9 | Early alphabets Further developments |
Homework 8 |
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| Nov 11 | Modern alphabets Texts |
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| Week 11 | The alphabetic principle in Greece | ||
| Nov 16 | Transmission Epichoric alphabets |
Homework 9 |
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| Nov 18 | Classical
writing Descendent alphabets (More inscriptions) |
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| Week 12 | The alphabet in Italy and early England | ||
| Nov 23 | Etruscan Latin |
No homework due next week. Thanksgiving Break, |
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| Nov 25 | No class: Thanksgiving Break |
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| Week 13 | English orthography | ||
| Nov 30 | Old English Middle English |
Homework 10 |
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| Dec 2 | Modern English The alphabet |
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| Week 14 | Implications of literacy | ||
| Dec 7 | Written language
and literacy |
Study for the final exam. |
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| Dec 9 | Vai literacy | ||
| Review session | |||
Monday, |
Time TBA | Location TBA |
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| Final exam | |||
Tuesday, |
9–11 am | Annenberg School, room 109 |
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