A question about the history of written language?

Question

Are there any theories about why it took us so long to create a written or at least pictographic type of language, considering that as far as we can tell we have had pretty much the same quality of brain for tens of thousands of years? It seems to be natural for us to want to leave behind some sort of account of what we, or our leaders have done, or the life we lead, for others to see, cave paintings and tattoos for example. Is it thought that we simply haven't discovered any earlier examples so just don't know, or are there positive theories to explain the great amount of time it took even though our mental capabilities appear to have been adequate?

Answer 1

starting off is pretty hard, also the egyptians used pictured words, (that's all i know, i just tried helping as i much as i could!)

Answer 2

Babe they had to wait until somebody invented the pen.

Answer 3

Writing seems to be linked to change from a nomadic hunter-gatherer society to a settled agricultural society in the early Neolithic, about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. As the daily pressure and compitition for gathering food became less, and people could afford to stay in the same place, and greater groups could live together, more time and occasions for cultural group activities became available. Society became also more structured, with an evolution from loose bands to villages, cities and kingdoms. The surplus food production also made possible the emergence of specialized groups who weren't directly involved in food production anymore, like artisans, priests, divines, astrologers and bureaucrats. Especially planning agricultural activities, coordinating labor tasks, storing food surplusses and taxation demanded storing information in a written form and and specialized class who could pass on that skill. And as civilization advanced, these tasks became more complex, and symbols for let's say "1 sheep", "1 barrel of grain" or "1 day cleaning irrigation canal X" evolved into more and more abstract pictograms, ideograms and alphabets.

Answer 4

Well, the need, systematization, and culture.

Written language (codified language) did not take so long because of the brain or mental abilities, it's just because there is a continuum through a time span which controls the human behavior from a food/land seeker to a culture/knowledge connector.

Get far of the first man who wrote and all that archeological field and get involved in one question, why did human create a system to codify his language?

If you observe it, you'll for sure find that the anecdotal view of language/religion is always governing that subject... from the Hindi to Islam, you may see it as an empty argument for whom is using it, but in fact it is not, cos that duality presented a reason.

The reason is the need to write, to remember and to organize.

So codifying a language is further than just a writing system, it has a social guiding need.

the subject is wider to be treated in some lines, but let me please comment on the mental capabilities. In fact, they were better and more accurate and precise, as you know with today's facilities, you can rely on your phone/pod to remember and take notes, or even record, Before, it simply was not possible!

All religious books were learnt by hear before they were written! yes an evidence.

In Hamurabui (babylon) 's king, age there was no need for condensed writing system, but when it came to write the first constitution in history by Hamurabi himself, he ordered that a whole system of language must be set with clear rules for people to not get into confusions.

Like for today, the appearance of new vocabulary, condensation of abbreviations, it's due to the socio-linguistic phenomenon at first when it comes to communication, and to Psycho-linguistics when it comes to the ease of use and convenience to the ear as speedy one...

Were people in the 20Century retarded mentally so they used the word "Web site" for what you can now call URL? no they just did not need to know URL and did not need to use abbreviations.

The more the era advances, the further language is complicated... language is the core holder of humanity, and written language is just here to memorize communications.

i hope i helped you a little. Best of luck.

Answer 5

i would have too look this up  

hey remember that Question you ask about Vincent

well if you still  have that v account go too v

and copy and paste in the search box

TCOT

and your see vincent  

HURRY NOW  FRAN

copy and paste this  as it is

TCOT