Graphemic indeterminacy in writing systems

Abstract

The linguistic ideal calls for a one-to-one correspondence between phonemes or syllables on the one hand and the graphic symbols that represent them on the other. In some writing systems the orthgraphies have been systematized to the point of approximating this ideal, but in others that are characterized by graphemic indeterminacy their graphemes are multi-valent and their phonemes or syllables multi-represented. Although all writing systems contain both phonetic and semantic elements, the former, whether systematized or not, are decisive in determining the classification of writing systems. If writing systems are classified primarily on the basis of their phonological component and secondarily on the extent of their semantic component, the result is a basic 2 by 2 classification that can be summarized as follows: “pure” phonemic (Finnish), “pure” syllabic (Yi, kana), morphophonemic (English), and morphosyllabic (Sumerian, Chinese).