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Visual languages and the problems with ideographies: A commentary on Morin
Neil Cohn1, Joost Schilperoord1
1Department of Communication and Cognition, Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands neilcohn@visuallanguagelab.com; www.visuallanguagelab.com j.schilperoord@tilburguniversity.edu.
Ideographies are limited due to their artificial nature, unlike natural graphic systems which exhibit standardization and complex sequencing capabilities. This study explores the inherent limitations of ideographic systems compared to natural graphic representations.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Semiotics
- Graphic Systems
Background:
- The study addresses Morin's argument on the limitations of ideographic systems.
- It contrasts the standardization capacity of ideographies with natural graphic systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the limitations of ideographic systems.
- To compare the standardization and combinatorial properties of ideographies and natural graphic systems.
- To investigate why ideographies fail to function effectively as writing systems.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of ideographic and natural graphic systems.
- Examination of standardization and combinatorial structures within graphic codes.
- Theoretical argumentation based on semiotic principles.
Main Results:
- Natural graphic systems demonstrate robust standardization and complex sequencing.
- Ideographies lack the capacity for proliferating standardization inherent in natural systems.
- The limitations of ideographies stem from their artificial imposition onto writing system structures.
Conclusions:
- Ideographies are fundamentally limited by their artificiality.
- Natural graphic systems offer superior standardization and combinatorial flexibility.
- Forcing ideographies to emulate writing systems leads to inherent functional deficits.
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