This page intentionally left blank Writing Systems AnIntroductiontotheirLinguisticAnalysis During its long history the problem of reducing language to writing, and con- versely that of interpreting written signs as language, has found a variety of solutions,whichstillexistintheformofdifferentwritingsystems.Writtenby a leading expert, this new textbook provides an accessible introduction to the majorwritingsystemsoftheworld,fromcuneiformtoEnglishspelling.Florian Coulmas presents detailed descriptions of the world’s writing systems and ex- plainstheirstructuralcomplexitiesaswellastheintricaterelationshipbetween writtenandspokenlanguage.Thebookalsoprovidesaclearandengagingac- countofthehistoryofwritinganditsconsequencesforhumanthoughtandliterate society. Thisillustratedtextbookincludesquestionsfordiscussionattheendofeach chapter,andanup-to-dateexplanationoftheoreticalissues.Clearlyorganizedand engaginglywritten,itistheidealtextbookforuseincoursesonwritingsystems. FLORIAN COULMAS is Professor of Japanese Studies at Gerhard Mercator University,Duisburg.Hehaspublishedseveralworksonwritingandwrittenlan- guage including The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems (1996) and TheWritingSystemsoftheWorld(1989). CAMBRIDGE TEXTBOOKS IN LINGUISTICS Generaleditors: P. AUSTIN, J. BRESNAN, B. COMRIE, W. DRESSLER, C. J. EWEN, R. LASS, D. LIGHTFOOT, I. ROBERTS, S. ROMAINE, N. V. SMITH Inthisseries P. H. MATTHEWS MorphologySecondedition B. COMRIE Aspect R. M. KEMPSON SemanticTheory T. BYNON HistoricalLinguistics J. ALLWOOD, L.-G. ANDERSON and O¨. DAHL LogicinLinguistics D. B. FRY ThePhysicsofSpeech R. A. HUDSON SociolinguisticsSecondedition A. J. ELLIOTT ChildLanguage P. H. MATTHEWS Syntax A. RADFORD TransformationalSyntax L. BAUER EnglishWord-Formation S. C. LEVINSON Pragmatics G. BROWN and G. YULE DiscourseAnalysis R. HUDDLESTON IntroductiontotheGrammarofEnglish R. LASS Phonology B. COMRIE Tense W. KLEIN SecondLanguageAcquisition A. J. WOODS, P. FLETCHER and A. HUGHES StatisticsinLanguageStudies D. A. CRUSE LexicalSemantics A. RADFORD TransformationalGrammar M. GARMAN Psycholinguistics G. G. CORBETT Gender H. J. GIEGERICH EnglishPhonology R. CANN FormalSemantics P. J. HOPPER and E. C. TRAUGOTT Grammaticalization J. LAVER PrinciplesofPhonetics F. R. PALMER GrammaticalRolesandRelations M. A. JONES FoundationsofFrenchSyntax A. RADFORD SyntacticTheoryandtheStructureofEnglish:aMinimalist Approach R. D. VAN VALIN, JR, and R. J. LAPOLLA Syntax:Structure,Meaning andFunction A. DURANTI LinguisticAnthropology A. CRUTTENDEN IntonationSecondedition J. K. CHAMBERS and P. TRUDGILL DialectologySecondedition C. LYONS Definiteness R. KAGER OptimalityTheory J. A. HOLM AnIntroductiontoPidginsandCreoles C. G. CORBETT Number C. J. EWEN and H. VAN DER HULST ThePhonologicalStructureofWords F. R. PALMER MoodandModalitySecondedition B. J. BLAKE CaseSecondedition E. GUSSMAN Phonology M. YIP Tone W. CROFT TypologyandUniversalsSecondedition F. COULMAS WritingSystems:anintroductiontotheirlinguisticanalysis Writing Systems An Introduction to their Linguistic Analysis FLORIAN COULMAS    Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge  , United Kingdom Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521782173 © Florian Coulmas 2003 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2002 - ---- eBook (EBL) - --- eBook (EBL) - ---- hardback - --- hardback - ---- paperback - --- paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of s for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Writing...amooringpostforthosewhotravelonmud