All western languages - Indo-European roots - are scripted beginning at the left, and then across to the right.
All Sinitic - ideographic(Chinese roots)- are scripted beginning at the right(down)and then across to the left.
Why is this?
2007-11-27 16:30:56 · 2 answers · asked by Alberich 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
Phil M: Thanks for your answer; but if you would read "Yahzmir"'s response, you will surely agree that your response was a totally inaccurate one; but thanks for it anyway.
Yahzmir: Many, many thanks for your very enlightening response: obviously, very well researched. Keep working on the Sinitic, if you will; very interested to see what you will come up with. Talk to you later about this.
"boustrophedon": yes, very interesting indeed; I too love learning new words, but more importantly, that the Greeks alternated the directions of their line by line scripting: this is really something new for me. I had no idea. Again, many, many thanks.
2007-12-02 06:53:53 · update #1
For the Western languages, try this link for a fascinating discussion of it:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=494626
Thanks for throwing that out there -- love learning a new word!
'Boustropheden'
Still working on the Sinitic! OK, this one seems to be a bit more difficult. I found a good thread out there with info, but it is on a 'migrating' page, so I have posted a link to the cached version. This will look a bit odd, but it does have some interesting thoughts on this topic. 'Carving turtle shells' seems to be the basis, oddly enough!
http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=why+chinese+write+right+to+left&fr=ush-ans&u=www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php%3Fshowtopic%3D12333%26mode%3Dthreaded%26pid%3D4820159&w=why+chinese+china+write+writing+right+left&d=Z8-5ePL9P2Kl&icp=1&.intl=us
2007-11-30 01:39:53 · answer #1 · answered by Yahzmin ♥♥ 4ever 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just 'cuz. Honestly, thats the answer.
Its like in America we drive on the right, in parts of Europe they drive on the left.
Not really much rhyme or reason other than the leaders of those nations wanted things to be done a little differently than others.
HTH
2007-11-28 10:05:02 · answer #2 · answered by Phil M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋