Essays on Writing and Language in Honor - Sino-Platonic Papers

Schnftfestsnifr: fisays in Honor of John DeFrancis
(5) Korean Writing System
Chinese characters were introduced to Korea earlier than Japan, but also
after the big change from Seal Type (picture symbol form) to Clerk Type
(character symbol form). After the second world war, the north Koreans use
only On-mun alphabet, while the south Koreans still use the mixed script of
Chinese characters and On-nun alphabet, The On-mun alphabet is a peculiar
alphabet of phoneme symboLs arranged into syllabic squires, The alphabet
symbols are only forty in number. hut the syllabic squires amount to more than
20110. For the North, the writing of today is svllabic/phonemic alphabet that
writes word/sy l lab lel.phonerne speech segments in sound-notating mode. For thc
South, it is characterlsy 1 labic,~phonemic alphabet that wri tes wnrd/sy l lab L P/
phoneme speech segraents in idea-narrating/sound-notat ing mode. In short, the
North .has sound writing, while the South has idea,.sound wri ting. It is an
intermidiate stage between idea writi~ig and sound writing.
(6) Amharic Writing System
Amharic writing system is the only pure syllabic writing system used as
the official national writing of a state of the present world, 11 has 247
syllabic symbols derived from 37 consonant symbols with 7 vowel signs attached
jointedly. In Japan there is syllabic alphabet but no official syllabic -
writing, Japanese syllabic symbols are integrated signs impossible of being
decomposed into phonemic signs. Amharic syllable symbols can be dissected
into consonant and vowel signs though not very regularly. Amharic writing
system is, in terms of typology of writing systems: syllabic alphabet symbol
form, sy l lable speech segment, and sound notating expressing mode.
(7) Arabic Writing System
In 1 974 Arabic was made the 6th working 1an.guage-of the United Nations.
It is the official national writing system of 18 Arabic states and the script
adapted to other Languages such as Persian, Pashto, Urdu, Sindhi of India and
Urghur of China, The present Arabic alphabet of 28 Letters consists hasically
of consonants, the vowel signs being detouchable marks placed above or below
the letters, They are generally omitted, though used in elementary school
books and the Koran bible, It is a writing system of consonant alphabet
symbo 1 form, of sy l lab l elphoneme speech segment, and of sound not at ing
expressing mode.
(8) English Writing System
English writing system is made of phonemic alphabet symbol form, of
phoneme speech segment, and of sound notating expressing mode, but neither
pure nor reguiar.
(9) Finnish Writing System
The Finnish alphabet contains 21 letters, 13 consonants and 8 vowels.