Nikita Buekenhout 

BUEND1503 

Reading Summary 1- Scripting The Future by Steven Fischer 

 

Variations of writing appeared between 3500-4000 BC in Mesopotamia. Other countries nearby 

were influenced to make their own systems too. The three main writing systems are Logography, 

Pictography and Alphabet. Over time logography became old to use and was set aside for 

syllabic system, but alphabet is the dominating system today. The survival of language is 

dependent on how many people continue to speak it. An important message is the writing 

preserves language, so old scripts today exist today due to cultures and people being able to put 

their knowledge and thought on a physical medium (like clay or stone) for future generations to 

use. The brain compartmentalizes reading and speech differently, so thought are linked to 

reading and has nothing to do with saying them. Being able to speak and being able to speak and 

write are categorized on different levels in society giving way to Diglossia, dividing a society 

into those who are educate and those who are not. For example you would have to be educated to 

know the difference between words with one pronunciation but have different meanings to each 

of them. Thus classifying people in society, like knowing how to speak is not enough you are 

superior if you can speak and write. The English language is constantly changing, like old words 

are being changed in a matter of spelling or new words are being added and this is possible by 

people accepting the change. In 1970Ős countries wanted to trade with each other so they wanted 

a way to communicate with each other in a way everyone would understand (universal). This 

was possible using Pictography as it was simple symbols accepted and understood by all, but a 

disadvantage was they could not be precise and detailed in drawing certain things. Visual 

language a mix of words and pictures, today is all around us sometimes itŐs so simple and second 

nature that we process it with no effort at all, like male female washroom symbols, but we cannot 

use this alone to communicate or get our thought across to people as like pictography it is weak 

in precision. Common spoken languages, like English, are most likely to survive in the coming 

centuries as lot of people will use it, and not so common like within villages might not be so 


fortunate. A lot of importance is given to Romanization and how it will influence the survival of 

various scripted languages around the world. As almost all urban households have a computer 

the theory is that written language might become obsolete as everything today is mostly 

electronic transference of information, also oral language might diminish as the progression of 

voice operated technology will further in helpfulness in our everyday life. But there are quite a 

number of people who genuinely find reading of books still an enjoyable hobby so there is hope 

for written language surviving. The most significant reason why written language would survive 

the future of a progressive society is the power it holds, writing immortalizes language, the 

knowledge, feelings, creativity saved for future generations to learn from and appreciate is a gift 

to this day. In a few words its humanities most valuable creation.