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June 26, 2008

To Write-When-What-- HUH?

This started out as simply looking up in the dictionary the word ‘Write’ to get the “official” definition;
Write: to form letters, words, or symbols to convey knowledge, information or ideas, by the use of an instrument such as pencil or pen on paper or by computer technology digitally.
Naturally to write goes hand in hand with Ink which I told you about here.
Anywho, I noticed that it didn’t say when people first started writing, so I Googled for it. By reading several different web sites about when writing was, shall we say, invented I gleaned the following information and decided I would share what I learned regarding this everyday thing we do and teach but oh so often, if not always, take for granted.
Through archeology detective work it is commonly thought that written language came about due first to record keeping and then developed after that for more than inventory and record keeping.
Clay tablets were found in ancient Sumeria, from 3200 BC and the symbol writing on them is called cuneiform. It is also possible that writing was invented by others including the Olmecs 400BC ancestor to the Maya 200-1500 AD and China 1200BC. In all these cases it is believed that the symbols, to represent animals and food crops, were scratched into clay tablets and hash marks represented the number of those items. From those recorded symbols the connection to words of similar sounds was formed and built upon. And thereby forming syllabic symbols or glyphs if you will or so I have read.
Most of us if not all are familiar with the Rosetta Stone, it has led to more than one language breakthrough. Handy lil’ thang ain’t it.
Why not look up the “official” definition of something you think you know and understand and find out if you really do. Remember knowledge is power and besides if it ever comes up in conversation, during a trivia game or Cranium you will have the right answer.
Oh one more little thing, not to tick anyone off, but just to share a thought that popped in my screwy convoluted gray matter. Here is something to ponder…
We all know of the Garden of Eden and that Eve ate of the forbidden fruit… Well what if that fruit was Written Language?

a little prose for ya...
AMATEUR WRITER

An amateur writer repeating familiar words in the hopes of a few that agree. They will flow together and bring meaning to some. To edify the reader and listener alike. But how, how to describe and express with pencil and ink that which is in an amateur writer. The words swirl in and out, sometimes with great ease rushing forth barely waiting to join the paper. Laying down upon it with fluid motion and lyrical sound. Other times with sweat and agony slowly grinding onto the bare blank page. Even then only as a mass, jumbled together, not pleasing to the eye much less the lips. They stick to the tongue as peanut butter does to dry crackers. But still an amateur writer must place the loved and hated words on empty paper, in the form of plays, poems, sonnets and tales. It doesn’t matter whether the words are acted out with great drama, sweetly spoken in the ear of a lover or verbalized to a group of the young or old. An amateur writer has the need, the need to write; that is the delusion the anguish and the sweet torture of an amateur writer.

4 comments:

Jeni said...

Very interesting post, Paige. Lots of information I never heard of before. Thanks for educating as well as entertaining!
Peace.

Linda said...

I truly believe that the apple gave Eve her voice. And all I can say is - thank goddess she chomped down! Peace, Linda

Georganna Hancock M.S. said...

Nicely written and thanks for the add!

Judypatooote said...

Wow, I never thought about where it all began...I know we all learned how to write words, and then put them together...but I guess I figured it all came naturally....when I read the old poems, their words are strange, and have a different meaning than what they read...great post Paige, it gets the mind aworkin.... judy