JAL 328 H1S - Writing Systems

2006

 

 

Tuesday 3 - 5; RW 117

 

This course examines the nature of writing and its relationship to language.
We look at the major writing systems of the world from four perspectives:

a. History

b. Internal structure

c. Relation to the language

d. Sociolinguistics

 

For example, for Chinese, we will look at

-The earliest history of Chinese writing (oracle-bone inscriptions)

-Some of the major calligraphic styles of Chinese writing over the ages

-The relationship of Chinese writing to the language (essentially, each syllable is written with one character,
and different morphemes are written differently)

-How many characters there are in Chinese; how characters are ordered in a dictionary;
how words borrowed from other languages are written with characters

-Traditional and simplified (20th century) forms of characters

-The role of writing in Chinese society, e.g., the Civil Service Examinations

-The borrowing of Chinese characters to write Japanese and Korean

Course Requirements

2 Quizzes

Mid-Term Test

Final Exam

 

TIMETABLE

	Day	Chapter	Topic	Handouts	Special
Jan	10	1-2	Introduction		Notes Intro
	17	3	Chinese
	24	4	Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese
	31	5	Cuneiform		Quiz I
Feb	7	6	Egyptian
	14				Mid-Term Test NOTE: Special Room WW 111
	21				Reading Week -- No class
	28	7	Semitic
Mar	7	8-9	Greek and Roman.
	14	10	English
	21	11-12	Indian abugida; Maya		Quiz II
	28	13	Misc. writing systems
Apr	4	Notes posted on web	Calligraphy and Printing.
	11	14	Classification, Review

Course

Time and Place

Tuesday 3 - 5; Ramsey Wright 117

 

Text

Writing Systems: A Linguistic Approach. Henry Rogers. 2005. Blackwell: Oxford.

ISBN 0-631-23464-0.

 

Dates

Two quizzes -- during class period: 31 January and 21 March

Mid-Term Test -- 14 February; special room TBA

Final Examination --during examination period (24 April - 12 May)

Last day to withdraw without academic penalty -- 12 March

Mark:

Quizzes: 20 % (10% each)

Mid-Term Test: 35%

Final Examination 45%

This course uses the 'Refined Letter Grade Scale', defined in section A.c.ii of the appendix to the University Grading Practices Policy. It should be noted that when numerical raw scores are used in marking, the numerical equivalents in the grade tables 'are not to be used to translate a score to a grade directly'.

---University Grading Practices Policy, Part 1, section 5

Instructor

Henry Rogers

416-978-1769

14219 Robarts Library (take elevator from 2d floor to 14th floor; turn right on leaving elevator and follow signs to Linguistic Annex)

Office Hours: T 10-12, and by appointment

 

E-mail

rogers@chass.utoronto.ca

Include 'JAL 328' in subject heading, and your full name and student number in the text.
Do not send attachments. I will try to respond within 48 hours, not including weekends.
E-mail questions should not be used to receive private tutoring or to explain material
that was missed in class. If you need more time, please make an appointment.

e-mail me