Idea of Writing

Alex de Voogt, Ph.D. (1995) in Psychology, Leiden University, is an Assistant Curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. His studies on writing systems and the dispersal of board games focus on the Indian Ocean region.Irving Finkel, Ph.D. (1976) in Assyriology, University of Birmingham, is an Assistant Keeper at the British Museum in London. His special subjects are Ancient Mesopotamia, Cuneiform writing, Lexicography, Medicine, Esoterica and the study of Ancient Magic, in addition to contributions on the history of board games.Contributors are Margarita Winkel, Erik Boot, Joachim Friedich Quack, Henning Klöter, Wilfred H. van Soldt, Azeb Amha, Harry Falk, Claude Rilly, Wolfgang Behr, Joukje Kolff, Alex de Voogt and Irving Finkel.

• Table of contentsAcknowledgementsIntroducing writing on writingAlex de VoogtPlay in writingStrange byways in cuneiform writingIrving L. FinkelScripts and shapes: Chinese characters and Japanese syllabaries in early modern JapanMargarita WinkelSubstitution, substitution, substitution:the many faces of Maya writingErik BootLoanwordsFrom group-writing to word association:representation and integration of foreign words in Egyptian scriptJoachim Friedrich QuackWhat is being borrowed?Language and script contact in TaiwanHenning KlöterThe adaptation of the cuneiform script to foreign languagesWilfred H. van SoldtLoanwords, “foreign words,” and foreign signs in Maya writingErik BootOn loans and additions to the Fidäl (Ethiopic) writing systemAzeb AmhaLanguages and scripts in the Maldive Islands: coding and encodingAlex de VoogtForeign terms in Sanskrit pertaining to writingHarry FalkPolysemyReducing polyvalency in writing systems: from Egyptian to MeroiticClaude RillyDifficult hieroglyphs and unreadable Demotic?How the ancient Egyptians dealt with the complexities of their scriptJoachim Friedrich QuackMaya Writing: synonyms and homonyms, polyvalency and polysemyErik BootIn the interstices of representation: ludic writing and the locus of polysemy in the Chinese signWolfgang BehrTowards another script Egyptian writing for non-Egyptian languages and vice-versa: a short overviewJoachim Friedrich QuackThe Caroline Islands script: a linguistic confrontationAlex de VoogtThe interaction of syllabic and alphabetic cuneiform writing in UgaritWilfred H. van SoldtWriting DanceJoukje KolffIndex