Studying ancient orthography

McDonald, Katherine; Dupraz, Emmanuel

Abstract

The study of orthography (spelling and writing systems), and its development over the history of language, is central to many areas of linguistic enquiry, offering insight into syntactic and morphological structures, phonology, typology, historical linguistics, literacy and reading, and the social and cultural context of language use. With contributions from a global team of scholars, this Handbook provides the first comprehensive overview of this rapidly developing field, tracing the development of historical orthography, with special emphasis on the last and present centuries. Chapters are split into five key thematic areas, with a focus throughout on the interplay between theory and practice. It also explores the methods used in studying historical orthography, and the principles involved in the development of a spelling system. Providing a critical assessment of the state of the art in the field, it is essential reading for anyone with an interest in writing systems and historical linguistics.

Citation

McDonald, K., & Dupraz, E. (2023). Studying ancient orthography. In Cambridge Handbook of Historical Orthography (285-304). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108766463

• Online Publication Date: Sep 1, 2023
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jun 11, 2024
• Pages: 285-304
• Book Title: Cambridge Handbook of Historical Orthography
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108766463
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2474525
• Contract Date: Jun 1, 2023