Rongorongo Tablets Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the duration of the grace period for assignment submissions?

20 minutes

120 minutes (correct)

60 minutes

40 minutes

If an assignment is due at 3:00 PM, when does the grace period end?

3:20 PM

4:30 PM

5:00 PM (correct)

4:00 PM

What happens if a student submits their assignment during the grace period?

Their grade is halved

They are not penalized (correct)

They receive a 5% bonus

They receive a 10% penalty

What happens if a student experiences technical issues during the grace period?

No consideration will be given after the original deadline. Signup and view all the answers

Where will the quizzes take place?

Exam Centre (EX) rooms Signup and view all the answers

How long is each quiz?

40 minutes Signup and view all the answers

How is engagement assessed in this course?

Primarily through attendance and active participation using a ‘ticket-out-the-door’ system Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical material used for Rongorongo tablets?

Driftwood Signup and view all the answers

Which term best describes the writing direction found on Rongorongo tablets?

Boustrophedon Signup and view all the answers

When were Rongorongo tablets first discovered?

19th century Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the current state of understanding of the Rongorongo script?

Completely undeciphered despite research efforts Signup and view all the answers

What is the shape of the Rongorongo tablets?

Irregular and unique in shape Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary limitation of picture writing systems when expressing ideas?

They struggle to express abstract ideas and complex concrete concepts. Signup and view all the answers

What type of ambiguity is a commonly associated challenge with the use of picture writing?

Ambiguity between a message meant to be an instruction and a warning. Signup and view all the answers

What do picture writing systems typically lack the capacity to do?

Reproduce any string of words in a language. Signup and view all the answers

Why does real writing often need to supplement picture-based representation to improve communication?

To improve clarity, reduce ambiguity and convey more complex messages. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements describes a weakness of picture writing systems?

They frequently struggle to effectively transmit abstract and nuanced concepts. Signup and view all the answers

What would be the most likely reason for a writer to use a combination of pictures and written text?

To clarify a message and reduce possible misinterpretations. Signup and view all the answers

According to the context, what is not a drawback associated with picture writing?

Inability to clearly depict concrete ideas. Signup and view all the answers

What statement best identifies a primary distinction between picture writing and real writing?

Real writing can reproduce language, while picture writing cannot create all the words of a language. Signup and view all the answers

Which author is credited with writing the quoted Latin passage?

Virgil Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary subject of the first line of the provided Latin text?

War and a man Signup and view all the answers

According to the Latin text, what caused the protagonist to travel to Italy?

Exile by fate Signup and view all the answers

Which is NOT specified as a form of hardship endured by the protagonist of the Latin text?

Rejection by his family Signup and view all the answers

What does the provided text identify as the main direction of the writing systems mentioned?

Horizontal, left-to-right lines Signup and view all the answers

Which group of scripts does the text explicitly mention as using horizontal, left-to-right lines?

Latin, Cyrillic, and Indic scripts Signup and view all the answers

According to the provided text, where do writers typically start when using horizontal lines?

The top of the writing surface Signup and view all the answers

What feature do the listed scripts share, based on the provided information?

They use horizontal lines. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main theme that links both passages in the text?

The effect of fate on humans Signup and view all the answers

The text mentions several scripts that use left-to-right horizontal lines. Which script is NOT explicitly mentioned?

Arabic Signup and view all the answers

Which writing direction is characteristic of boustrophedon?

Alternating between left-to-right and right-to-left on consecutive lines. Signup and view all the answers

What is the origin of the term 'boustrophedon'?

It's derived from a term describing the movement of an ox ploughing a field. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic feature of boustrophedon writing?

The script switches direction on every line. Signup and view all the answers

In the provided text, which of the following illustrates the concept of boustrophedon?

The written text which reverses word order and letters on alternating lines. Signup and view all the answers

Where was boustrophedon most notably found?

Most notably in Ancient Greek manuscripts and inscriptions. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes the Gortyn Code inscription from other examples in the text?

It is a specific example of boustrophedon writing on a particular inscription. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of the Rongorongo script as described in the text?

It is found on irregular wooden tablets, often driftwood. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding the Rongorongo script?

The script is from Easter Island and still remains undeciphered. Signup and view all the answers

What material were the Rongorongo tablets typically made of?

Wood, often driftwood. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the writing direction in the provided text example demonstrating boustrophedon?

It alternates between left-to-right and right-to-left with letterforms reversing direction. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Introduction to Writing

This course focuses on how writing systems work, their internal structure, their relationship to language structure, and their historical development.
It is not about literature, style, tone, grammar, or general writing improvement.
The course will cover a series of 12 lectures from January 6th to March 31st.

Course Overview

Course materials (lectures, syllabus, and policies) are available online.
There are two assignments (12% each), three quizzes (10% each, in-person), and a final exam (40%, in-person).
Participation is valued at 6%.
A "grace period" for assignments is a 120-minute window immediately after the deadline.

Topics of the Day

Included topics are: a course overview—syllabus, schedule, and policies; the definition of writing; comparison of writing to language; linearity in writing; variability in writing's direction; graphemes (free versus bound); allographs; orthography and transliteration (comparing scripts with orthography, transliteration versus transcription).

What is the Course About?

The course aims to explain how writing systems function, their rules, components, and the historical evolution of language change versus written language change.

What is Writing?

Writing systems vary by culture and may or may not relate to the spoken language.
Writing is a visual representation of language.
"Writing" can refer to penmanship, literary style, linguistic eloquence, and graphic marks representing language—but not all forms of graphic representation are considered "writing."
Picture writing represents concepts or ideas, not language, and is widely used.
There are limitations or shortcomings of picture writing as a method of communication.

Linearity in Writing

Written and spoken language move in a linear fashion.
Writing flows from graphic to graphic.
Writing has directionality—left to right, right to left, top to bottom, etc.
Examples of different writing directions are presented.
Boustrophedon is described as a writing style where the direction alternates with each line.
Vertical writing systems exist, where lines are written vertically instead of horizontally.

Graphemes

Graphemes are the minimal contrastive units of writing.
Different types are presented: free, bound, and diacritics.
Diacritics modify other graphemes (e.g., accents).
Capitalization in writing systems can distinguish proper nouns from common nouns.

Allographs

Allographs are non-contrastive/non-distinctive variants of graphemes.
Presented with different examples and situations when the context can't be predicted.
Presented in different contexts for free and bound graphemes.

Orthography and Transliteration

Orthography describes how something is written or spelled using graphemes within a script.
Some writing systems directly correlate language pronunciation with orthography.
Transliteration converts one writing system into another but preserves sound.
Orthography and transliteration are important areas when considering linguistic diversity.
Examples of orthographical variations and approaches to transliteration are presented.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system for transcription.

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Description

Test your knowledge about the fascinating Rongorongo tablets, their history, characteristics, and writing systems. This quiz covers various aspects, such as the discovery of the tablets and the challenges associated with picture writing. Dive into the intriguing world of ancient scripts!