Vilmos Benczik
Language, Writing, Literature:
A Communication Theory Approach
CONTENTS/TARTALOM
(Abstract in English)
1. The Preliterate Period: The Language of Primary Orality
1.1. The Difficulties in Research
1.2. Periods in the History of Communication Technologies
1.3. Orality-Literacy Dichotomies
1.4. Linguistic Acousticity
in
Primary Orality
1.4.1. Why Did an Acoustic Sign Set Become
Man’s Principal Means of Communication?
1.4.2. Structure of Linguistic Acousticity
1.4.2.1. Segmental (Discrete) Linguistic Signs
1.4.2.2. Suprasegmental (Continuous) Linguistic Signs
1.4.3. Changes in Linguistic Acousticity
1.4.3.1. From Continuous Signs to Discrete Signs
1.4.3.2. Acousticity and Language
in Public Thought and Linguistics
1.4.3.3. The Acoustic Characteristics of Primary Orality
1.5. The Word in Primary Orality
1.6. Syntax in Primary Orality
1.7. The Text in Primary Orality
1.8. Extralinguistic Means of Communication
Summary
2. Writing
2.1. Preconditions, Causes, Purposes of Its Birth
2.2. Writing Systems
2.2.1. General Properties
2.2.2. Overview of Writing Systems
2.3. Overview of the Evolution of Writing Systems
2.4. Full Alphabets
2.4.1. The Imperfection of Writing
2.4.2. Alphabetic Scripts
2.4.3. Degree of Appearance of Phonetic Information in the Writing of
Some Languages
Summary
3. The Intensive and Extensive Evolution of Writing
3.1. The Extensive Evolution of Writing: The Dimensions of the Ability
to Read and Write
3.1.1. In Antiquity
3.1.2. In the Middle Ages
3.1.3. In the Modern Age
3.2. The Intensive Evolution of Writing
3.2.1. Changes in the Form of Letters
3.2.2. Spaces between Words, Punctuation
3.3. Printing
3.4. After the Invention of Printing
3.4.1. The Perfection of Technology
3.4.2. Typewriter
3.4.3. Text on the Computer
Summary
4. Writing and Language
4.1. Recorded Speech or Autonomous Form of Expression?
4.2. Birth of the Written Text
4.2.1. Differences Resulting from Writing’s Imperfection
4.2.2. Differences Resulting from the Different Communication Situation
4.2.3. Differences Resulting from the Change in Writing Surface
4.3. Language Evolution
4.3.1. Does Language Evolution Exist?
4.3.2. The Anatomy of Language Evolution
4.3.3. Lexical Poverty and its Correction
4.3.3.1. The Types of Lexical Poverty
4.3.3.2. The Correction of Lexical Poverty
4.4. Interference Between Spoken and Written Language Use
4.4.1. Spoken and Written Texts
4.4.2. Interaction of Writing and Speech
Summary
5. Literacy and Belles-lettres
5.1. What Is Belles-lettres?
5.1.1. Belles-lettres as a Specific Form of Literacy
5.1.2. Changes in Literature Concepts
5.1.3. Spoken and Written Literature
5.2. The Changes in Literature
5.2.1. The Changes in Literary Themes
5.2.2. The Text Forms of Literature
5.2.2.1. Narrative
5.2.2.2. Description
5.2.2.3. The Intertwinement of Narrative and Description
5.2.2.4. The Appearance of Speech in the Literary Text
5.3. The Language and Writing Concept of Literature
5.3.1. Are Language and Writing an Integral Part of the Literary Work?
5.3.2. Literature Creating Language
5.3.3. Rhetoric and Literature
5.3.4. A Flight from Language to Language’s Matter: Concrete Poetry
5.3.5. Language Creating Literature
5.4. Literature as Preserver of Orality in Literacy
5.4.1. The Natural Orality of Literature
5.4.2. Development of Literary Literacy
5.4.3. The Rebirth of Orality in Literature
5.4.4. Literature as Preserver of Acousticity in Literacy
Summary
6. Secondary Orality -- The Diminution of Literacy
6.1. Secondary Orality
6.1.1. The Concept of Secondary Orality
6.1.2. The Continuity of Orality
6.1.3. The Origin of Secondary Orality
6.1.4. The Technical Accessories of Secondary Orality
6.1.4.1. Radio
6.1.4.2. Motion Picture
6.1.4.3. Television
6.1.4.4. Cool and Hot Mediums
6.1.5. Orality or Iconicity?
6.2. The Diminution of Literacy
6.2.1. Changes in the Field of Literacy
6.2.1.1. Factors Producing an Increase in Literacy
6.2.1.2. Factors Producing a Diminution in Literacy
6.2.2. The Phenomenon of Functional Illiteracy
6.2.2.1. The Concept of Functional Illiteracy
6.2.2.2. The Roots of Functional Illiteracy
6.2.2.3. The Dimensions of Functional Illiteracy
6.2.2.4. The Heralds of Functional Illiteracy
6.2.3. Reading Books as a Form of Entertainment
6.2.3.1. The Situation in Hungary
6.2.3.2. A Possible Therapy
Summary
7. Is Literacy Overrated?
7.1. The “Great Divide” Theory
7.2. The Continuity Theory
7.3. Factual Continuity
7.3.1. The Unarticulated Becomes Articulated
7.3.2. The Thought-Speech-Writing Triptych
7.4. Silent Reading
7.5. Inestimable Literacy
Summary
8. A Glance into the Future: What Follows Literacy?
8.1. The Concept of Postliteracy
8.2. Language without Writing
8.3. The Iconic/Pictorial Turn
8.4. From Monomediality to Multimediality
8.5. Separation of Iconicity and
Conceptuality: Schizophrenia in Communication?
8.6. Image as a Starting Point?
8.7. Multimedial Hypertext
Summary
9. Appendix
Word-frequency Text Analyses
9.1. The Number of Word Forms and Richness of Linguistic Content
9.2. Type-token Ratio
9.3. The Texts Analyzed
9.4. Historical Comparisons
9.4.1. 274-word Texts
9.4.2. 1000-word Texts
9.4.3. Dates of More Extensive Texts
9.5. Comparison of Texts with Different Text Forms
9.6. Word Frequency of Parallel Spoken and Written Texts
9.7. Comparison of Texts Linked to Orality or Literacy Respectively
9.7.1. Proportion of Nominals
9.7.2. Proportion of Verbs
9.7.3. Relative Proportion of Nominals and Verbs
9.8. A Few Comments
Works Cited