This was done by stringing together the glyphs represented a phrase into groups of 6. The Mayans used a unique method of inscribing the hieroglyphic writing system. Although he wrongly assumed the Mayan language to be alphabetic, the key he penned down proved critically helpful in later efforts to decipher Mayan hieroglyphics. Bishop Diego de Landa, who was appointed the religious leader at the Mayan Yucatan region after the Spanish conquest, wrote down a key of the Mayan syllabary in an attempt to understand the structure of the language. Accompanying the Spaniards were the Franciscan monks who set themselves to penning down and deciphering the Mayan hieroglyphic system. Hieroglyphics Early ResearchĪfter the Spaniards attacked and conquered Mesoamerica, they came in possession of many materials which had Mayan hieroglyphics inscribed on them. In this way, nearly each Mayan word could be written in many different ways. In many cases, a single Mayan word could be written by the use of a single logogram, or as two or three or even more syllabograms. Since the glyphs were available both as logograms and syllabograms, Mayans could use of a quick logogram where they wanted to convey the message quickly, or could resort to the use of a syllabogram when they wanted to pen down in a more detailed and nuanced fashion. The sheer variety of the Mayan hieroglyphics made it possible for the Mayan to have a very flexible writing system. Mayan hieroglyphics had a total of 150 syllabograms. This is why it is called a syllabogram since it’s a symbolic representation of a single syllable. Each syllable, in turn, was represented by a symbol or an image. To write down a single word or a phrase, Mayans conjoined multiple syllables and strung them together. Syllabograms comprised of individual syllables which corresponded to phonetic voices. Syllabograms were the other dominant type of alphabets, or glyphs, used in the Mayan language. According to modern researches done on the Mayan language, the hieroglyphic system of the Mayans had as many as 550 logograms. Logograms were useful for the Mayans because they served as a sort of shorthand, conveying a written message quickly and efficiently. The symbol of a logogram usually made a direct reference to the word it was used for. For instance, if a single glyph could denote the name of a Mayan fruit, it was a logogram. They were images or symbols which could be used to denote an entire word. Logograms were the more comprehensive type of Mayan glyphs. Both were extensively used in Mayan hieroglyphics. Some of these are classified as logograms by the modern scholarship while others are categorised as syllabograms. There were many different ways of spelling a single Mayan word, consequently Mayans had a large body of glyphs. Glyphs were individual units of language which usually comprised of one or more symbols and were used to denote a single phrase or a word. The hieroglyphic language of the Mayans usually comprised of the use of individual alphabets which are called glyphs. Although of obscure origins, the Mayan hieroglyphic were the only well-advanced writing system that existing in the pre-Colombian Americas. However, most researchers agree that the hieroglyphic system had already been developed and was in use much before this date. The earliest extant written proof of the hieroglyphics is dated back to sometime between 300 B.C. Researchers have been unable to peg a certain date on the origins of Mayan hieroglyphic language. Mayan hieroglyphics were also inscribed on monumental structures as part of stelas or carvings. The priests used the language to pen down books on a wide range of subjects, including books related to astronomy, religion, mythology and mathematics. The use of Mayan hieroglyphics was limited to the Mayan priestly class. The individual units in the language, or its alphabets, were called glyphs. Since the language comprised of symbols and images, resembling the language of ancient Egypt, the Spanish conquistadors termed it hieroglyphics. Mayans made use of a very well-developed and advanced written language.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |