How many symbols do we need, when we write in SignWriting?

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
August 18, 2009

On Aug 17, 2009, at 1:06 PM, MARIA AZZOPARDI wrote:

> Hi Val
> You wrote:
> I already have some information I can share with you Maria, regarding
>> the number of symbols in the system and and how to discuss those
>> numbers with people and so forth...
>
----

> So I guess my question is really, how am I to discuss the numbers with
> people? If there are 35,000 symbols, surely one language does not  
> need all
> these - maybe they could be grouped into a smaller class of symbols?
>
> In the IPA there are a total of 107 distinct letters (52 diacritics,  
> and
> four prosody marks) - that's a great deal less - to write all the  
> spoken
> langauges in the world.
>
> thanks
> Maria
>
>

--------

Hello Everyone, and Maria!

I have asked Maria's permission to discuss this question on the List,  
because I think it may be of interest to some of the members of the  
SignWriting List too. Maria is writing her dissertation on SignWriting  
and Maltese Sign Language, and Maria asked me the question:

  "How many symbols do we need, when we write in SignWriting?"...

It is important to realize that we do NOT write with 35,000  
symbols...much fewer symbols than that!

So I will explain much better in the next message...it may take me an  
hour or so, but the answer is coming...

Thank you for your question, Maria!

Val ;-)







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