An example of a pictograph, symbolizing deer hunting
The notion of pictography comes from the Latin word pictus . The term refers to a type of ideographic writing : that is, it uses conventional symbols or images to represent ideas , without fixed words that are responsible for their meaning.
Writing that emerged in the Neolithic
In the specific case of pictography, objects are drawn and then explained using words. This writing emerged in the Neolithic , when prehistoric humans began to represent elements through drawings on stones.
In pictography, each of the signs carries a statement or a phrase. Pictograms are figurative icons that seek to represent, in a real and schematic way, the objects in question.
According to specialists, the pictography had a causative purpose, since with it man sought to cause something. Thus, when a hunting scene was drawn, it was intended that this representation would actually have the effect of capturing prey.
Since it was not associated with phonetics or the linguistic characteristics of a language , pictography contributed to communication . However, the impossibility of expressing abstract issues limited its development.
The ideography
Over time, pictography served as the origin of ideography, a term that we find today when studying oriental languages such as Chinese and Japanese. Ideograms are schematic signs that can represent simple messages or global concepts . It is important to clarify that they are not considered linguistic.
In addition to the aforementioned languages, we find ideograms in mathematics and on traffic signs. One of their most notable characteristics is the economy they provide to communication: they can say a lot with little; concepts that would take us several written words, with a couple of strokes. This, added to the fact that they are universal, explains why they are used in so many areas and why they are so well received.
Current pictograph
It is important to keep in mind that pictography continues to be used today. Many instructions and signs in public spaces are presented with pictograms due to ease of understanding. The drawing of a locomotive , to mention one case, can indicate the proximity of a railway station or a level crossing : this indication is expressed through the pictography.
In any case, it is almost impossible to find universal symbols. That is why cultural differences restrict the scope of pictography. This problem does not appear to the same degree in other areas, such as music, but culture always imposes limits on understanding as a natural consequence of development in closed regions over centuries. While we can learn to interpret foreign symbols, using them out of context can be offensive.
Pictography provides an undeniable economy to communication.
Symbols that do work internationally, on the other hand, can benefit us with significant space savings and the possibility of interpreting them at a much greater distance than a written phrase. For example, understanding the meaning of a relatively simple pictogram painted on a sign at a hundred meters is possible for many; reading a message at the same distance is almost impossible. Furthermore, returning to the causative nature that was associated with pictography in its time, we cannot deny the impact of a graphic image on people.
Another benefit that pictography offers over current writing is that it can be interpreted by people who do not know how to read, either due to illiteracy or a matter of age. A young child can intuit the meaning of a pictogram, even before having the linguistic tools to explain it; The same does not happen with a prayer.