Today I Learned (TIL)

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TIL that on pre-colonial Easter Island there existed an undeciphered system of writing or proto-writing, called Rongorongo, which would be one of few independent inventions of writing. (en.wikipedia.org)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What does independent mean here? Not influenced by a previous writing system? Does this imply that all other writing systems have a singular source?

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It implies that most of the written languages we're aware of have been based on preexisting character sets, with very few root character sets. This is one of those few root sets.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Amazing! Do you happen to know where the root sets arose from?

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_writing#Inventions_of_writing

According to the article, experts currently believe that writing was invented independently at least four times:

Mesopotamia (between 3400 and 3100 BCE)
Egypt (around 3250 BCE)
China (1200 BCE)
Mesoamerica (by 500 BCE)

There is still debate around Rongorongo script and Vinča symbols, since no is sure if they are actually writing systems.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

This is sick, thanks for the info!!