logograph etymology

Etymology

• From Ancient Greek:
  • λόγος (lógos) "word, speech"
  • γράφειν (graphein) "to write"

Meaning

A logograph is a written symbol that represents a word or phrase, rather than a single sound or syllable. It is a type of non-phonetic writing system.

Origin

Logographic writing systems evolved independently in several cultures around the world. Some of the earliest known logographs appear in:

• Mesopotamia (c. 3500 BCE): Cuneiform script, used to write Sumerian, Akkadian, and other languages.
• Egypt (c. 3200 BCE): Hieroglyphic script, used to write the ancient Egyptian language.
• China (c. 1600 BCE): Chinese characters, used to write the various Chinese languages.
• Mesoamerica (c. 600 BCE): Mayan script, used to write the Mayan languages.
• Japan (c. 5th century CE): Kanji, borrowed from the Chinese writing system and used to write Japanese.

Usage

Logographic writing systems are still used today in various parts of the world, including China, Japan, and parts of Southeast Asia. They are generally more complex to learn and use than phonetic writing systems like the Latin alphabet, but they offer the advantage of being able to represent morphemes (meaningful units of language) directly.

logograph relate terms

• logogriph

  Etymology The word logogriph is derived from two Greek words logos λόγος w

• Logos

  Etymology The word logos comes from the Ancient Greek word λόγος lógos meani

• logo

  Etymology The word logo is derived from the Greek word logos which means word or

• logogram

  Etymology Derived from Ancient Greek logos word and gramma letter Meaning A

• phobia

  Etymology The word phobia originates from the Greek word phobos meaning fear or

• checkmate

  Etymology The word checkmate is derived from the Persian phrase shāh māt شاه م

• penny

  Etymology The word penny originates from the Old English word penig which is deriv

• sorry

  Etymology From Middle English sori from Old English sārig meaning sorrowful sa

• quarantine

  Etymology The word quarantine originates from the Italian word quaranta meaning for

• folly

  Etymology The word folly is derived from the Old French word folie which itself is d

• equivocal

  Etymology The word equivocal is derived from the Latin word aequus meaning equal

• cringe

  Etymology of Cringe Cringe originates from the Middle English term cringen which f

• fortune

  Etymology From Middle English fortune noun and verb from Old French fortune from La