Ideogram

Ideograms (from Greek ιδεα idea "idea" + γραφω grapho "to write") are graphical symbols that represent ideas.

Ideographs in the strictest sense do not constitute a complete writing system, as any writing system must be able to refer directly to a language in order to faithfully represent that language, but are often used in wayfinding and sign systems, especially in airports and other environments where many people may not be familiar with the language of the place they are in.

"Ideograms" is commonly used to describe logographic writing systems such as Egyptian hieroglyphs and Chinese characters. However, symbols in logographic systems generally represent words or morphemes rather than pure ideas.

The term "ideogram" or "ideograph" is also used to describe two of the six ways in which Chinese characters were designed. See Chinese character classification for more information.

Examples of ideographic systems:

Dongba — Naxi,
Mi'kmaq — Mi'kmaq,
Sioux and Ojibwa pictographs - Sioux and Ojibwa,
Hobo signs - American Hoboes,
Mathematical notation.

The Dongba script is still extant (and perhaps Hobo signs).

References

DeFrancis, John. 1990. The Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0824810686
Hannas, William. C. 1997. Asia's Orthographic Dilemma. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 082481892X (paperback); ISBN 0824818423 (hardcover)
Unger, J. Marshall. 2003. Ideogram: Chinese Characters and the Myth of Disembodied Meaning. ISBN 0824827600 (trade paperback), ISBN 0824826566 (hardcover)

External links

The Ideographic Myth (an extract from DeFrancis' book)
AIGA Symbol Signs (common US ideograms).
American Heritage Dictionary
Merriam-Webster OnLine
Encyclopedia Britannica online
Ojibwa and Sioux pictographs
Hobo Signs

Writing systems | Symbols

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