The Hidden Language of Graphic Signs: Cryptic Writing and Meaningful Marks

This book explores hidden writing and alternative systems of graphic notation that challenge the transparency and precision of traditional writing systems. It highlights the role of embellishments and meaningful marks in graphic communication, emphasizing their enduring value alongside records of spoken language. The volume features essays by leading scholars that explore forms of writing that deflect attention from language and graphs that target meaning directly.

Format: Hardback
Length: 330 pages
Publication date: 19 August 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The idea that writing systems are designed to be transparent and provide accurate records of sound is widely held. The focus, however, is on the language behind these markings. The primary audience is readers, and the most effective graphs primarily capture sound rather than meaning. But what if embellishments held significant value, if hidden writing, which is time-consuming to produce and read, played a lasting role alongside more accessible graphs? What if meaningful marks complemented records of spoken language? This book, a compilation of essays by renowned experts on these topics, delves into hidden writing and alternative systems of graphic notation. Essays by leading scholars explore forms of writing that, through their formal intricacy, divert attention from language. The volume also examines graphs that directly target meaning, bypassing the filter of words and the medium of sound. The numerous examples presented here showcase the remarkable ingenuity of humans and the endless possibilities for exploring enhanced graphic communication.

Weight: 842g
Dimension: 183 x 261 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108840613