The logographic writing system is one of the earliest ones. It needs to be said that the biggest difference that is worth noting is that symbols are used to describe a particular concept and not a sound like in other systems. One of the most interesting glyphs that were used by Maya is Bahlam, also known as a Jaguar. The fact that it is culturally important is a significant factor that should not be disregarded. Another symbol that needs to be discussed is Wits that means a mountain. It needs to be said that it would not be an easy task to identify the meaning of this glyph if one is not common with the Mayan language because it is unique (Campbell 380).
It is especially important to note that culture and traditions play such a significant role because pictograms are still used by some tribes. The main aspect that needs to be considered is that it would not be possible to have a full understanding of the meaning without the necessary knowledge about a particular lifestyle (Ottenheimer 186).
It needs to be said that the accessibility of modern technologies such as social media and others is quite important because it becomes incredibly easy to express emotions with a use of such tools as smileys and reaction pictures. It is paramount to note that fewer words are used during the communication process, but it is extremely convenient. The emoji language is also an interesting phenomenon that is worth mentioning because it is quite similar to pictograms and others. It is especially interesting that it is possible to make complete sentences simply with a use of smileys (Cohn par. 4). However, it may be quite problematic to identify the meaning for those who are not used to it.
Works Cited
Campell, Lyle. Historical Linguistics. Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University Press, 2013. Print.
Cohn, Neil. “Will Emoji Become a New Language?”BBC. BBC. 2015. Web.
Ottenheimer, Harriet. The Anthropology of Language: an Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.