fandomhigh | Linguistics

"Good afternoon.

I've decided that we're going to look at the Rosetta Stone today. How many of you know what that is?

For those of you who don't, the Rosetta Stone is a stone with writing on it in two languages (Egyptian and Greek), using three scripts (hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek).

The Rosetta Stone is written in three scripts because when it was written, there were three scripts being used in Egypt.

The first was hieroglyphic which was the script used for important or religious documents. Anyone give me an example there?

The second was demotic which was the common script of Egypt.

The third was Greek which was the language of the rulers of Egypt at that time.

The Rosetta Stone was written in all three scripts so that the priests, government officials and rulers of Egypt could read what it said.

It was carved in 196BC, and was dicovered by French soldiers in 1799, whilst they rebuilding a fort in small village in the Delta called Rosetta, or Rashid. Hence, the name, Rosetta stone.
The Rosetta Stone was found in a small village in the Delta called Rosetta (Rashid).

The Rosetta Stone is a text written by a group of priests in Egypt to honour the Egyptian pharaoh. It lists all of the things that the pharaoh has done that are good for the priests and the people of Egypt.

Many people worked on deciphering hieroglyphs over several hundred years. However, the structure of the script was very difficult to work out. After many years of studying the Rosetta Stone and other examples of ancient Egyptian writing, Jean-François Champollion deciphered hieroglyphs in 1822. Champollion could read both Greek and coptic.

He was able to figure out what the seven demotic signs in coptic were. By looking at how these signs were used in coptic he was able to work out what they stood for. Then he began tracing these demotic signs back to hieroglyphic signs.

By working out what some hieroglyphs stood for, he could make educated guesses about what the other hieroglyphs stood for.

This is an example of applied linguistics

Now, for homework, I want you to either write me a two pages on other examples of applying linguistics, or, I want you to try and apply your own lingustic skills to something; whether they are skills you already had before starting this class, or have learnt so far.

I'm here if you need me."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

here

*is here*

Rory signs in.

*Limps in. Sits in nearest available desk*

*raises eyebrows*

Mr Sheppard, are you okay?

Little jogging accident. I'm probably the only person who will die of being healty. *grins*. I swear it wasn't this bad the day I did it.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to go to the clinic after class and get it checked out?

I keep thinking that that wouldn't kill me... but then again I'm the guy who thought jogging wouldn't kill me and look where I am now.

Besides... have you seen the guy who runs that place? Scar-ry!

Try asking for Dr. Wilson. He was most helpful when I went in this morning.

I'll think about it. I'm still managing to ~~limp~~ get to class... *shrugs*

Well, it's up to you

*shrugs and turns back to his notes*

[ooc: the mun is going to be away for most of the weekend, so the idea is to let him limp around until she has to leave, then he'll report to the clinic... thus explaining his absence. :)]

John strides in, signs the roster, and plops in a seat.

Here

"Sir? Wasn't the Rosetta stone discovered by soldiers of Napoleon, which in addition to Napoleon stealing art from other European countries was the start of the neo-classisistic movement?"

Daniel smiles at Harry.

"Yes, it was." He lectures on for a few minutes about it, before smiling again. "Not much to do with linguistics, but interesting all the same. Thank you, Mr Potter."

"Well, i guess it has something to do with linguistics in some way, because the heightened interest in the classics made it possible for Champollion to publish his book, and have an audience for it. But you're right, i am kinda reaching here".

((OOC: the art history has eaten my brain! I see nineteenth century and will go on and on about neoclassisism...ah well. Forgive me :) ))

Daniel laughs. "It's perfectly alright, Harry, I'm just glad to see students taking an interest."

[ooc: Heee! You're forgiven *g* This is the one class I actually know nothing about... hence reverting to the Rosetta stone instead of actual linguisticsness. I'll have done some reading by Thursday *g*]

"So... could this 3 languages, and the decoding, be application of cryptography? Decoding the meaning of the languages, the old extint languages, like cyphers and chits in a code? That's an application of linguistics, disguising a message to be decoded later..."

"Exactly," Daniel beams, pointing his piece of chalk at John enthusiastically.

(Please let me know which one was attempted!)

Does trying to figure what girls mean when they say something and you know damn well that that isn't what they actually *mean*?

That can count, if you use what skills you've learnt in this class.

John uses a Spanish-English dictionary to transliterate one of Shakespeare's sonnets. Incidentally, the one that Our Dear Prof was drunkenly reciting.

Is in *g*

Linguistics

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Dr Jackson