Characters with Character

Most societies and language groups across the world developed an urge to record their written communication and thoughts. Since you're reading this, you are certainly in this particular class of people, and since I'm writing this, I'm with you. But another thing that probably unites us is the curiosity with which we regard those cultures that didn't. A surprising 3,000 of the 7,000 existing languages never developed a writing system. Why? In many cases, their oral traditions were so sophisticated that there was never a need to record anything except in their minds. In addition, speakers of those languages probably didn't have any territorial ambitions beyond their general vicinity.

Still, more than half of all language groups have developed writing systems, and their speakers have dug deep into their imaginations to develop systems that would make them writers as well as readers.

Most societies and language groups across the world developed an urge to record their written communication and thoughts. Since you're reading this, you are certainly in this particular class of people. But another thing that probably unites us is the curiosity with which we regard those cultures that didn't. A surprising 3,000 of the 7,000 existing languages never developed a writing system. Why? In many cases, their oral traditions were so sophisticated that there was never a need to record anything except in their minds. In addition, speakers of those languages probably didn't have any territorial ambitions beyond their general vicinity. Still, more than half of all language groups have developed writing systems, and their speakers have dug deep into their imaginations to develop systems that would make them writers as well as readers.

This book explores some of the more... precious examples of language from diverse peoples and cultures around the world.