Invention of Language

Written language is amazing.  I mean, if you think about it, we are communicating without speaking.  You are reading my thoughts.  I am thinking this right now.

Ok... now I'm daydreaming about going to a Pedro the Lion concert.  But I guess you're still reading my thoughts, as I'm still typing them.  I've got to stop doing that.

We talked about ideograms, and pictograms.  We looked at the development of letters, and language as a mnemonic device.

For instance:  Hey students, let your parents (or whoever you are reading this with) figure this out on their own...

PLDGLGCTTHFLG
FTHNTDSTTSFMR
CNDTTHRPBLCFR
WHCHTSTNDSNN
TNNDRGDNDVSB
LWTHLBRTNDJST
SFRL

Maybe you can read that?    If not, the student you're reading and discussing the blog with probably can.  (If the adults are still having trouble, give them a couple words and see if they get it...)

PLDGLGCTTHFLG
FTHNTDSTTSFMR
CNDTTHRPBLCFR
WHCHTSTNDSNN
TNNDRGDNDVSB
LWTHLBRTNDJST
SFRL

If you already know what that says, it's pretty easy to read.  If you don't already know... well it's pretty tough.  Chances are, when people wrote the Epic of Gilgamesh they already knew the story but were writing it as a mnemonic device to help remember it.

Hopefully this (and writing in Cuneiform yesterday) helps my students remember that all ancient civilizations have a written language.

If you want the extra credit, read and discuss the blog with an adult.  Then, on a scrap piece of paper, write the following: "Mene mene tekel upharsin" and have the adult you read and discussed the paper with sign it.