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Concept
Written language
Summary
A written language is the representation of a language by means of writing. This involves the use of visual symbols, known as graphemes, to represent linguistic units such as phonemes, syllables, morphemes, or words. However, it is important to note that written language is not merely spoken or signed language written down, though it can approximate that. Instead, it is a separate system with its own norms, structures, and stylistic conventions, and it often evolves differently than its corresponding spoken or signed language.
Written languages serve as crucial tools for communication, enabling the recording, preservation, and transmission of information, ideas, and culture across time and space. The specific form a written language takes – its alphabet or script, its spelling conventions, and its punctuation system, among other features – is determined by its orthography.
The development and use of written language have had profound impacts on human societies throughout history, influencing social organization, cultural identity, technology, and the dissemination of knowledge. In contemporary times, the advent of digital technology has led to significant changes in the ways we use written language, from the creation of new written genres and conventions to the evolution of writing systems themselves.
Written language, spoken language, and signed language are three distinct modalities of communication, each with its own unique characteristics and conventions.
Spoken and signed language is often more dynamic and flexible, reflecting the immediate context of the conversation, the speaker's emotions, and other non-verbal cues. It tends to use more informal language, contractions, and colloquialisms, and it is typically structured in shorter sentences. Spoken and signed language often includes false starts and hesitations. Because spoken and signed language tend to be interactive, they include elements that facilitate turn taking, including prosodic features, such as trailing off, and fillers that indicate the speaker/signer is not yet finished their turn.
Official source
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