Who Uses Connected Writing?

[Jimmy Joe]

Wondering about that led me to wonder what other alphabets can be written as connected script. Kanji can't.

Japanese most definitely has cursive scripts. Rather than thinking about joining letters within a word, you join separate strokes inside a character. Sometimes, different characters are joined, but usually as a calligraphic endeavor. This example is Chinese, but the idea holds:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Cur_eg.svg

[ndw76]

As far as I am aware there is no cursive Thai script. If there is, I have never seen it. Some schools over here teach cursive as a part of teaching English.

[GabrielleDuVent]

Japanese and Chinese have roughly three scripts.

 

so-sho - 草書　True cursive. Pretty illegible unless you study it. Varies greatly depending on the period (and country). Has specific rules on abbreviations and contractions that also vary according to the period. EXAMPLE.

 

gyo-sho - 行書　Semi-cursive. What is regarded as "cursive" in Japan today. Semi-connected scripts that are the main forms in sho-do. EXAMPLE.

 

kai-sho - 楷書　Print. What most kids learn in school. EXAMPLE.

 

I don't actually know anyone who write in gyo-sho who hasn't taken writing lessons. My mother is one of them, but she took sho-do lessons since she was five. It's an entirely different game to write with a brush as well; pens don't really have clear distinction of the hane, harai, and such.

 

I can read semi-cursive and print, but actual cursive is completely over my head. You study those in university.

[ac12]

As I recall the basic Japanese characters that I learned a LONG LONG time ago are:

• katakana (blocky and angular like printing) and
• hiragana (more like cursive in shape)

But the characters were still written individually for both styles.

[carlosviet]

In Vietnam, the French colonization changed the alphabet from a chinese-like one (Chữ nôm) to a roman-like with many extra symbols to place accents and entonations. However, the idea of beautiful calligraphy is still linked to Chinese brush and inkstone strokes. That's why the highest form of writing is actually writing the roman alphabet with a brush in a chinese freehand fashion.

 

This kind of calligraphy is very highly regarded and taught in schools and in academies. People have often mottos and good luck charms written with it. Calligraphers are very respected.

 

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/069/6/5/vietnamese_calligraphy_by_kaffeden-d4scovz.jpg

 

This is a simple Vietnamese calligraphic sentence:

http://honque.com/VanNghe/Calligraphy_HQ032.jpg

 

Calligraphy (Thư pháp) is not only not receding. In 2006 an artist started what it is already accepted as a "new" callygraphic style. As revolutionary as Spencerian was. It increases the artistic expression of ink and the form and size of the letters to form a picture. This style is called "tiền vệ phụ âm thư". There is discussion about if the style is a type of calligraphy, or art.

 

http://m.f9.img.vnexpress.net/2009/01/06/atrich_doan_9-1345638431_480x0.jpg

 

By the way, apart of these callygraphic stravaganzzas, good handwriting is a must in Vietnam. Letters of application and curriculums must be writen by hand, and a neat penmanship is symbol of education and class and may count as much as good looks and proper dressing in the interview.

[GabrielleDuVent]

As I recall the basic Japanese characters that I learned a LONG LONG time ago are:

• katakana (blocky and angular like printing) and
• hiragana (more like cursive in shape)

But the characters were still written individually for both styles.

 

You only learned printing. I don't know any Japanese instructor outside Japan who can write in Japanese cursive.

 

The cursive script looks like this:

 

http://www.n-gaku.jp/lifelong-school/shinjuku/mt_images/%E3%83%9A%E3%83%B3%E5%AD%97%E6%9A%91%E4%B8%AD%E8%A6%8B%E8%88%9E%E3%81%84%E3%83%BB%E3%83%94%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF.jpg

 

Writing beautifully is a mark of culture, class, and good education, especially for women, so there are quite a few schools to learn this script.

Edited October 17, 2013 by GabrielleDuVent

[Octo]

What kind of symbols do you mean?

 

Such as Cherokee or old Egyptian

[recluse]

The development of handwriting in modern western civilization (roughly, monoline vs italic vs script) is exposed with most attention paid to the United Kingdom in Handwriting of the Twentieth Century by R. Sassoon. Amazon had before the Kindle version for sale, which was quite readable despite many illustrations. I guess it interfered with sales of printed copies too much.

 

It's turned out that what is going on now with handwriting is a natural evolution of processes that began about hundred years ago. Quite edifying story of the fierce competition between models, standards and views on public education.

[GabrielleDuVent]

The development of handwriting in modern western civilization (roughly, monoline vs italic vs script) is exposed with most attention paid to the United Kingdom in Handwriting of the Twentieth Century by R. Sassoon. Amazon had before the Kindle version for sale, which was quite readable despite many illustrations. I guess it interfered with sales of printed copies too much.

 

It's turned out that what is going on now with handwriting is a natural evolution of processes that began about hundred years ago. Quite edifying story of the fierce competition between models, standards and views on public education.

 

I think the question is more dire than "writing styles". I'm sorry, but I just can't print as fast as I "write". Taking off the nib from the paper surface for each letter is far more time consuming than writing one continuous line. A quick google seems to agree.

 

But why would you need a superior writing speed if all you output in terms of words is Twitter message?

 

Which is probably why those who write more tend to use cursive more often; thoughts sometimes do fly away (I think Erich Kastner likened it to a small animal... or a table running away. Someone jog my memories) and printing each letter just won't do. But typing all the time means you might run too fast and your "legs" may get jumbled. Handwriting in cursive it is.

 

I think, if we forced the students to write "five page essay in 30 minutes, GO" since year 3, they'd soon be using cursive. When you're scribbling away, printing isn't going to work.

 

But as it seems a global thing to have students "write less", I'm guessing "less cursive" is also going global. The high school students I see are writing minimal amounts, both in terms of notes and just writing assignments, and using technology. Even grading is done online.

[Pterodactylus]

Writing beautifully is a mark of culture, class, and good education, especially for women, so there are quite a few schools to learn this script.

 

Why do you see this gender specific?

Is such a attitude not a little bit outdated?

[carlosviet]

 

I think the question is more dire than "writing styles". I'm sorry, but I just can't print as fast as I "write". Taking off the nib from the paper surface for each letter is far more time consuming than writing one continuous line. A quick google seems to agree.

 

But why would you need a superior writing speed if all you output in terms of words is Twitter message?

 

Which is probably why those who write more tend to use cursive more often; thoughts sometimes do fly away (I think Erich Kastner likened it to a small animal... or a table running away. Someone jog my memories) and printing each letter just won't do. But typing all the time means you might run too fast and your "legs" may get jumbled. Handwriting in cursive it is.

 

I think, if we forced the students to write "five page essay in 30 minutes, GO" since year 3, they'd soon be using cursive. When you're scribbling away, printing isn't going to work.

 

But as it seems a global thing to have students "write less", I'm guessing "less cursive" is also going global. The high school students I see are writing minimal amounts, both in terms of notes and just writing assignments, and using technology. Even grading is done online.

 

I agree on the point that cursive is the telltale of the frequent writer, but not in speed, but hours of it. Although it can help, of course, writing speed is more conditioned by the writer's confidence in grammar, spelling or expression... Cursive is just what happens when one uses the arm, instead of the fingers, to write, and the reason to do so it's because after hours, it is less tiring for the hand and the fingers (except the middle finger writer's calllus... Maybe we should start a thread, "show us your callus" )

Edited October 17, 2013 by carlosviet

[Lyander0012]

"Connected writing". Now there's a term I don't come across everyday.

 

Anyway, yeah, I've been using a broken cursive ever since elementary, but have since moved on to proper cursive with the beginning of my fascination with fountain pens. Writing joined-up with an instrument such as an FP just makes sense, really. At least, it makes sense to me.

 

I'm still struggling to make my note taking hand as attractive and legible as my "nice" hand, though there isn't much of a difference between the two, but aside from that, I'm having no difficulty in using cursive.

 

With regard to printing letters, I only resort to that when writing down acronyms and the like. Initials in names are still cursive for me

[Lyander0012]

<snip> Maybe we should start a thread, "show us your callus" )

Haha, that'd be a fun thread. I am NOT looking forward to seeing some of the heavier writers'calluses XD

 

Mine isn't that far along yet, although I write a lot nowadays and sometimes doodle/sketch with my trusty Tikky (which has been around for longer than my fountain pens, haha).

 

Cheers!

[UK Mike]

"Who Uses Connected Writing?" ......................... Oops, I thought everyone did?

[amk]

Wow, there have been some fascinating responses in this thread. I'm off to look at cursive hieroglyphs and order the Marc Drogin books!

[rwilsonedn]

Why do you see this gender specific?

Is such a attitude not a little bit outdated?

Only in some cultures. Gender differences are not always archaic or discriminatory.

ron

[Pterodactylus]

http://imageshack.us/a/img546/8219/csmp.jpg

(Mont Blanc 264 - OBB ..... Montblanc Oyster Grey)

[ashbridg]

Only in some cultures. Gender differences are not always archaic or discriminatory.

ron

Old English had gender--three of them in fact: masculine, feminine, and neutral. Gender in English mostly died out as the language streamlined. Romance languages still have it. Not discriminatory, but it makes the vocabulary harder to learn. Edited October 17, 2013 by ashbridg

[Wolverine1]

In addition to writing in English, I also write in Hindi, Assamese, Bangla, and Nepali. They are in the Devnagiri script in the case of Hindi and Nepali, and I dont know what the script is called in case of Assamese and Bangla. However, in all these languages, people use shortcuts in trying to write fast, but, formally, there is not cursive version of writing in these languages.

However, I left India when I was 18, and have been away ever since. Maybe Hari, Mesu and the other Indian folks can correct me if I am wrong in my assertions.

[Parker Quink Turquoise]

I was taught in school cursive (connected ) writing and still use it.