Chapter 12 - Blueprints and Borrowed Letters

Jennifer Y.

College Writing R1A

Professor Vahle

In this chapter, Diamond talks about the history of how writing systems were created and how writing was considered 'superior' because knowledge is directly linked to power. Many of those who were considered the higher class, monarchs and merchants were able to travel because they followed maps for sailing directions that were written from others who have traveled. With written evidence, explorers were able to prepare themselves and to expect certain conditions. Countries with writing systems were more superior since they were able to communicate information effectively. 

 There were three basic strategies in the different writing systems: “differ in the size of the speech unit denoted by one written sign: either a single basic sound, a whole syllable, or a whole word.” (Diamond 216). In other words, the strategies were alphabetic, logographic, and syllabic. The alphabetic writing system had sounds to each letter along with symbols to represent it. Most commonly, English uses the alphabetic writing system. The logographic system is displayed as signs to represent the whole word. The Chinese uses the logographic system. Lastly, the syllabic system are syllables which is used by the Japanese.

Alphabetic writing system: English

Logographic writing system: Chinese

Syllabic writing system: Japanese

There were two places that created the writing system: Fertile Crescent and MesoAmerica. There were two others that had possibly developed their own system as well, China and Egypt but there is not any solid evidence to prove it. Diamond explains that the creation of a writing system is difficult so many of the systems were copied or mixed together. Many neighboring countries used a writing system that was already in place to help develop their own language. Writing systems were copied by using blueprint copying, where the whole system is copied but used to create a completely different language. The other form of copying, diffusion is the idea where writing is copied but the writing system is used completely different.

This map shows the countries that developed their own writing system along with other neighboring countries. 

The development of the writing system first started with flat clay tablets and pointed tools were scratched onto the clay. In creating words, “new signs were created by combining old signs to produce new meanings: for example, the sign for head was combined with the sign for bread in order to produce a sign signifying eat.” (Diamond 220). All writing systems did not have a particular strategy, “they had to learn to recognize the same sound or speech unit through all our normal variations in speech volume, pitch, speed, emphasis, phrase grouping, and individual idiosyncrasies of pronunciation. They had to decide that a writing system should ignore all of that variation. They then had to devise ways to represent sounds by symbols.” (Diamond 218). It was very rare that countries created the writing system on their own, many writing systems were ‘borrowed, adapted or inspired by writing systems’ that were already in place. The writing system was spread by “trade and conquest and religion, to other societies with similar economies and political organizations.” (Diamond 237).

In this chapter, Diamond discussed how writing systems were created along with the individual countries that has invented them. It was interesting to learn about how the different forms of writing systems developed within each language. The development of writing systems were inspired by neighboring countries but yet the languages itself are so different. Based on the history of the writing systems, I am wondering which of languages would be easier to learn. I would think that the logographic writing system would be the hardest since each symbol represents a word. Many people say that learning Chinese is extremely hard if it is not their native language because there is a lot of memorization. Compared to English, it is much easier since there is the alphabet system. They are able to learn how to pronounce the english words based on the alphabet. 

 I found it interesting how power is linked to having a writing system. Having a writing system is extremely helpful since people are able to communicate more effectively and pass on information to the next generations. If the writing systems were not created, the society would be not be the same since humans would not be able to pass on information. The creation of the writing system along with technology helped develop the current society to become more efficient. I also found it interesting how neighboring countries developed their own systems by 'copying' other systems that are already in place. By having a writing system, the country would advance greatly. It is extremely interesting how each word has been created and given a meaning. Without these writing systems, the world would have not expanded this rapidly.

Works Cited

Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1999. Print.