MJ Moriarty on thu 10 jul 03
position (long)
I am speaking from a warehouse of ignorance here, and this is not a theory
I have systematically researched, but I wonder if some of the difference
between Japan and the west is because their writing system is pictographs,
so they read using the part of the brain that processes images. In the
west we build up words from sounds using our phonetic alphabet. So the
Japanese are more frequently exercising their visual neurons, and thereby
become more conscious of the way things look, while we are using this more
left-brain process to read, and depending on these complex rules of sound
and spelling.
I know that the pictures in the modern writing system have evolved to a
very abstract level, but you know that a character with the "road radical"
in it will have something to do with travel, so the whole process of
understanding a written word is very different in Japanese. In English we
may decipher words by knowing a Latin or Greek or French root, but in
first and second grades we are just working with phonics and the sounds
the letters represent. So we don't see pictures as we read words.
Anyway, it's just a thought.
MJ Moriarty
Hank Murrow on thu 10 jul 03
position (long)
On Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 11:28 AM, MJ Moriarty wrote;
> I wonder if some of the difference between Japan and the west is
> because their writing system is pictographs, so they read using the
> part of the brain that processes images. In the west we build up
> words from sounds using our phonetic alphabet. So the Japanese are
> more frequently exercising their visual neurons, and thereby become
> more conscious of the way things look, while we are using this more
> left-brain process to read, and depending on these complex rules of
> sound and spelling.
> I know that the pictures in the modern writing system have evolved to a
> very abstract level, but you know that a character with the "road
> radical"
> in it will have something to do with travel, so the whole process of
> understanding a written word is very different in Japanese. In
> English we
> may decipher words by knowing a Latin or Greek or French root, but in
> first and second grades we are just working with phonics and the sounds
> the letters represent. So we don't see pictures as we read words.
Dear MJ;
Now visualize a deaf, but American Sign-reading, person going to the
theater to see a play which is signed. Her companions are hearing, but
are not signing. When you get home after the play, and all are sitting
around 'talking' about what they 'saw and heard'; The hearing folk will
tell you what the characters said, pretty much exclusively, while the
signing deaf person will tell you where characters stood, how they
moved, how they were physically relating in space, AND what they said
to each other. The signing person has additional information coded into
the act of signing......the physical act of 'saying' words into the
air. Read Oliver Sacks' book, "Seeing Voices".....read about Charlotte
beginning on page 68. You will find it fascinating.
Perhaps the act of making brushstrokes leads to some broader
apprehension of the world than mere words.
Again, just a thought, Hank in Eugene
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on fri 11 jul 03
position (long)
Hi Hank,
Nice mentions...
While the differences between 'languages' are certainly a
curious and important matter to wonder on...as too those
differences between peoples, especially those differences as
we construe to be incidental to their respective
languages...(if not the other way around...) I still seem to
find, that all verbalized or spoken languages appear to be
essentially 'poetic' and allusional productions.
It seems to me...that all 'language' and all
representations, allusions and descriptions are metaphoric.
Even neurological ones, or our sensory receptions or
apprehensions of 'language' in whatever forms...or, our
decodements, translations or interpretations of them.
Are they not?
Phil
lasvegas
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hank Murrow"
To:
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 2:16 PM
Subject: Re: Craft and Art Appreciation ; was: Got Clay? /
Japanese market position (long)
> On Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 11:28 AM, MJ Moriarty
wrote;
>
> > I wonder if some of the difference between Japan and
the west is
> > because their writing system is pictographs, so they
read using the
> > part of the brain that processes images. In the west we
build up
> > words from sounds using our phonetic alphabet. So the
Japanese are
> > more frequently exercising their visual neurons, and
thereby become
> > more conscious of the way things look, while we are
using this more
> > left-brain process to read, and depending on these
complex rules of
> > sound and spelling.
> > I know that the pictures in the modern writing system
have evolved to a
> > very abstract level, but you know that a character with
the "road
> > radical"
> > in it will have something to do with travel, so the
whole process of
> > understanding a written word is very different in
Japanese. In
> > English we
> > may decipher words by knowing a Latin or Greek or French
root, but in
> > first and second grades we are just working with phonics
and the sounds
> > the letters represent. So we don't see pictures as we
read words.
>
> Dear MJ;
>
> Now visualize a deaf, but American Sign-reading, person
going to the
> theater to see a play which is signed. Her companions are
hearing, but
> are not signing. When you get home after the play, and all
are sitting
> around 'talking' about what they 'saw and heard'; The
hearing folk will
> tell you what the characters said, pretty much
exclusively, while the
> signing deaf person will tell you where characters stood,
how they
> moved, how they were physically relating in space, AND
what they said
> to each other. The signing person has additional
information coded into
> the act of signing......the physical act of 'saying' words
into the
> air. Read Oliver Sacks' book, "Seeing Voices".....read
about Charlotte
> beginning on page 68. You will find it fascinating.
>
> Perhaps the act of making brushstrokes leads to some
broader
> apprehension of the world than mere words.
>
> Again, just a thought, Hank in Eugene
>
>
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