What's the most beautiful script?

[linguaholic]

Dear Linguaholics

What's the most beautiful script in your opinion? Please share some pictures that go along with your pick of the most beautiful script ever. I would go for Manchu. My second favorite script is Chinese (Traditional Characters).

 

 

Edited October 7, 2015 by linguaholic

[Trellum]

For me the Hebrew script is the most beautiful   But sadly is one of the main reasons I don't think I will be learning colloquial Hebrew anytime soon:

 

 

This is a religious text, hence the nikud  

[Guest]

Hi all

My favorite script is Chinese. I just love how it looks like. So beautiful.

 

 

 

[missbookworm]

I would definitely go with the Hebrew alphabet. It's already considered as ancient even since before Jesus Christ was born. What kind of language alphabet would ever compete with that, right? I believe the Bible was first written in Hebrew as well.

[Mim]

Hmm, interesting. I have never asked myself what the most beautiful script is. For example, Chinese or Japanese scripts are too ordinary for me (I am Japanese) and I cannot easily enjoy the beauty of their optic effects. When I see Chinese or Japanese script, I automatically catch the meaning and it makes difficult for me to focus on the form itself.

Anyway, Siddham script (sanskrit) is the most beautiful script for me. I want to learn sanskrit in the future.

 

[linguaholic]

I am going to add this to the list. then you can choose it as well :=) (see the poll above). regards

Lingua

PS: I forgot to add Sanskrit to the list. Stupid me

[kurdapia]

I love the characters in the Japanese language or anything similar to it in appearance. I know I do not understand the language but the characters are beautifully made. They look like art to me. I like the fact that they look like intriguing symbols to me.

[Wanda Kaishin]

Nice poll. Tibetan for me.

[Chris_A]

I always loved Chinese and Japanese script, and was always fascinated with it. Arabic is also very cool, as is Sanskrit, in my opinion.

[lushlala]

I don't know what they all mean but I too have always admired Chinese and Japanese scripts. They look like art to me, and I always wonder if anyone writing in those scripts could be considered to have bad handwriting LOL? -and how long it takes to write?

[danica]

I've always loved the Arabic script. It looks so beautiful and mystical. Sanskrit too. 

 

[Chris_A]

I don't know what they all mean but I too have always admired Chinese and Japanese scripts. They look like art to me, and I always wonder if anyone writing in those scripts could be considered to have bad handwriting LOL? -and how long it takes to write?

I think every image is an entire sentence, in Japanese and Chinese. I still wonder how kids over there are able to learn to read and write so fast. It should require years to learn it normally.

[sillylucy]

I have always loved Arabic too! I felt like it was a mystical language and it would be impossible to learn. When I was a kid I thought it was super cool and always wanted to be "in" and know how to read and speak it! I still haven't tried learning though! Been caught up with French and Spanish! 

[Wanda Kaishin]

I think every image is an entire sentence, in Japanese and Chinese. I still wonder how kids over there are able to learn to read and write so fast. It should require years to learn it normally.

Each character is a syllable. Words are typically one or two characters. Very rarely is a single character a sentence. An example of this is: Hi! = 嗨!

[lushlala]

I think every image is an entire sentence, in Japanese and Chinese. I still wonder how kids over there are able to learn to read and write so fast. It should require years to learn it normally.

I know! It's just crazy. It must be extra hard to try and learn it as a grown up, but I find it very fascinating! Imagine trying to memorise all those images! It would certainly be interesting to give it a go and find out exactly how difficult it is.

[Chris_A]

Each character is a syllable. Words are typically one or two characters. Very rarely is a single character a sentence. An example of this is: Hi! = 嗨!

Very interesting. I didn`t know that at all. But from you example, I find it still pretty complex. I mean, a simple thing like "Hi!" looks like that. Awesome.

I know! It's just crazy. It must be extra hard to try and learn it as a grown up, but I find it very fascinating! Imagine trying to memorise all those images! It would certainly be interesting to give it a go and find out exactly how difficult it is.

For sure! But if I would ever go out and learn Chinese or Japanese, I would definitely learn it from a local or native. Seeing as how complex their script is, I wouldn`t want to have it otherwise. But it is really hard to get a proper Asian teacher in my part of the world, I think.

[Pretorius]

Writing Systems

A writing system as a set of visible or tactile signs used to represent units of language in a systematic way. This simple explanation encompasses a large spectrum of writing systems with vastly different stylistic and structural characteristics spanning across the many regions of the globe.

1 of 6

Writing provides a way of extending human memory by imprinting information into media less fickle than the human brain. However, many early philosophers, such as Plato, have branded writing as a detriment to the human intellect. They argued that it makes the brain lazy and decreases the capacity of memory. It is true that many non-writing cultures often pass long poems and prose from generation to generation without any change, and writing cultures can't seem to do that. But writing was a very useful invention for complex and high-population cultures. Writing was used for record keeping to correctly count agricultural products, for keeping the calendar to plant crops at the correct time. And writing was used for religious purpose (divination and communicating with the supernatural world) and socio-political functions (reinforcing the power of the ruling elite).

[lushlala]

Very interesting. I didn`t know that at all. But from you example, I find it still pretty complex. I mean, a simple thing like "Hi!" looks like that. Awesome.

For sure! But if I would ever go out and learn Chinese or Japanese, I would definitely learn it from a local or native. Seeing as how complex their script is, I wouldn`t want to have it otherwise. But it is really hard to get a proper Asian teacher in my part of the world, I think.

@Chris_A....I think I'm inclined to agree with you there. With such complex languages as Chinese and Japanese, you're probably best off learning them from a native, for sure. Would you maybe be able to do some those Skype lessons, or is that not ideal for you?

[宇崎ちゃん]

I have been developing my own tool to learn scripts.
As far as I am, the ones used in the middle-east are among the hardest scripts I've ever seen.
Hangul is not bad, but the idea of having letters in a letter freaks me out a bit.
But I think Cyrillic, Hiragana and Katakana are the easiest scripts to learn.
Got these 3 nailed in no-time.

[lushlala]

I never heard of Hangul, Cyrillic, Hiragana and Katakana scripts. But well done for getting them nailed, it can't have been easy! It's amazing what's out there that we don't know about.

[宇崎ちゃん]

Maybe you'll recognise them:
Cyrillic: доброе утро (dobroe utro)
Hiragana: おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu)
Katakana: オハヨウゴザイマス (ohayou gozaimasu)

In all cases it means "good morning", in case you were wondering.
But if you don't recognise those scripts, then I know for sure you have never heard of those.

[Carlyarn23]

In my opinion Chinese script is the most beautiful. Looking at it is like poetry. Since I cannot understand what it says, I am able to really look at it and appreciate the beauty in how it looks. I wish I was able to understand it, but it seems to complex. 

[CarpeDiem]

I think Arabic script has this melodious flow to it that I really love. Would love to learn Arabic some day.

[CarpeDiem]

Although I do love some of the scripts shared by others here. I specially like the Tibetan script shared above.

[LCastellano]

Definitely Japanese. It takes all of the elegant characters in Chinese and adds a set of easy-to-use letters that look like these cute little tangled spaghetti strands or sharp-ended, stabby letters.