Language and writing

Language

- “a vocal symbolism of speech, with its related bodily gestures and

mechanical signals which give precision and finesse to communication” –
keesing

- Any set or system of symbols used in a more or less uniform fashion

by a number of people who are thus enabled to communicate
intelligently with one another.”-- american college dictionary

Characteristics of language

1. Age
2. How language came to be
3. A part of culture
4. Growth and development
5. Symbolism
6. Elements –
3 elements-
1. Phonology or system of sounds – a system consisting of
sounds in human speech with significant meanings.
2. Grammar- the way of putting together words into a sentence
according to definite rules so that a complete thought is expressed
3. Lexicon or vocabulary- the collection of words of a
language together with their respective significant meanings.

Functions of language

1. Communication
2. Enculturation
3. Promotion of nationalism
4. Promotion of cooperation
5. Promotion of peace
6. Accumulation of knowledge

Mechanical aids in oral communication

 1. Telephone
2. Radio
3. Television
4. Video tape recording
5. Motion picture
6. Sound system

Writing

- is representing meaningful sounds in a language by

conventionalized graphic symbols

Development of writing

1. Picture writing- the earliest form of wriiting

o A form of drawing pictures called pictographs
or pictograms representing objects or ideas
2. Hieroglyphics- kind of writing of early egyptians
-greek words “hieros” meaning sacred and
“glypho” meaning to carve

3. Cuneiform- sytem of writing invented by the sumerians

- latin word “cuneus” meaning wedge

4. Logographic writing- symbols that represented words

5. Ideographic writing- it is an outgrowth of the logographic writing

6. Phonetic writing- assigning a symbol for a phonetic sound called

phonogram ot phonograph. Phonograms are associated with syllables
instead of words.

7. Alphabetic writing-

Mechanical aids to writing

1. Typewriter- invented by henry mill in 1714

2. Telegraph- invented by samuel morse in 1844
 3. Printing press- invented by johann gutenberg in 1450. Use to print
books of all kinds, newspapers, magazines, and other publications.
4. Photocopying machine- can copy exactly any written material fed
into it and make as many copies as desired
5. Computer- latest and most modern machine fo printing and copying.

Functions and importance of writing

1. Long distance communication

2. Recording and preservation of information materials
3. Mass production of information materials
4. Facilitation of learning

Relation between language and writing

- Language and writing are related but they are not identical
- Writing is a tool of language
- Language can exist without writing but writing cannot exist without
language

Religion

– is a relationship betweeen a human being and a supreme being in

which the latter is capable of helping the former , if he obeys his laws
and commandments, and of harming him if he odisobeys such laws and
commandments.

Some religious beliefs and practices

1. Belief in a supreme being, all powerful ,creator, or essence of the

universe. Some religions believe in a multiplicity of supernatural beigs
called gods, goddesses, or deities.

2. Belief in the power of supreme being to pour out blessings upon those
who obey his laws and commandments and to give punishment to those
 who disobey them. The gods and deities are also capable of doing these
things.

3. Belief that the performance of ceremonies, consisting of rituals such

as prayers, singing sacred songs, fasting, penance, etc. Would befit the
reverence and worship accorded to the supreme being that would make
him pour out his blessings upon the believers. All religions have
ceremonies.

4. Belief in spiritual and moral codes. All religions have spiritual and
moral codes.

Instruments of religion

1. Ritual- is a single definite religious act.

Examples: prayers, singing scared songs, temple dances, making
sacrifices, making the sign of the cross, making some offerings
2. Ceremony- is a complete religious performance consisting of related
and interconnected rituals.
Examples: sunday mass or religious service, wedding ceremony,
baptism, house blessing, car blessing.
3. Taboos- prohibition to do certain acts which if violated, may bring
punishment or misfortune to violators
Examples: catholics are prohibited from eating meat on
good friday
: some christians are prohibited from eating any blood
: muslims do not eat pork
: muslims can have two or more wives at the same time
but this is a taboo to christians

Clasification of religions according to the number of gods worshipped

1.,monotheistic- a religion is monotheistic if there is only one god or god

worshipped . Christianity is monotheistic as well as islam
2. Polytheistic- a religion is polytheistic if there is more than one god
worshipped

3. Animistic- a religon is animistic if many animate and inanimate objects

are worshipped. Paganism is often animistic. Some pagans worship the
moon, the sun, , a big rok, a big tree.

Functions, uses, and roles of religion

1. Religion serves as a means of social control

2. Religion exerts a great influence upon personality development
3. Religion allays fear of the unknown
4. Religion supplies the explanation to events or situations which are
beyond the comprehension of man
5. Religion gives man comfort, strength, and hope in times of crisis and
despair
6. Religion preserves and transmits knowledge, skills. Spiritual, and
cultural values and practices
7. Religion serves as an instrument of change
8. Religion promotes closeness, love, cooperation, friendliness, and
helpfulness
9. Religion alleviates sufferings from major calamities
10. Religion provides hope for a blissful life after death

Disadvantages of religion
1. Religion promotes divisiveness
2. Religion promotes the concept of predestination or fatalism

The world religions

Judaism-the oldest religion in the world

- Comes from the latin word juda-ismus which in turn came from the
greek word “ioudaismos” meaning the “jews religion”.
- Is monotheistic, believing in one supreme being, god the creator,
author, first cause of the universe, supreme judge and father
 - Believes in the coming of the messiah(savior).
- Believes in resurrection
- Has a set of ceremonies consisting of rituals such as sacrifices,
singing, fasting, and prayers

Hinduism

- the word “hindu” comes from the word “hind” which represented the
native religion and social system of india

- Belief in transfiguration or reincarnation

Caste system of hinduism

1. The brahmans- the priests and the intellectuals
2. The kahatriyas- the government and the military
3. The vaisyas- the merchantile and the agricultural
4. The untouchables- the servants

The sacred books of hinduism are the four vedas:

1. The rig-veda- oldest and most important comprising more than a

thousand hymns
2. The yajur-veda- comprising, liturgical and ritualistic formulae in verse
and prose
3. The sama-veda- hymns with musical notation
4. The atharva-veda -verse and prose comprising charms, prayers,
curses, spell
 Zoroastrianism

- is the ancient religion of persia now iran

o It practiced polytheism but the new zorastrianism is reduced to

dualism teaching that ormazd, the lord of light and goodness,
carried on a ceaseless war against angra mainyu and the host
of evil spirits who dwell in darkness

The sacred book of zoroastrianism is the “avesta” (sacred text) and its
zend or interpretation. It consists of four chief divisions:

1.the yasna- meaning worship

2. The vispered- supplementary rituals
3. The yashts- hymns to angels and lesser deities
4. The vendidad- contains an account of creation and historical and
homiletic matter

Shinto-
-shinto is the proper name of this religion and not shintoism because
the japanese “to” is equivalent to our “ism”
- This is a japanese religion consisting chiefly of reverence to the
spirits of imperial ancestors, historical personages and some deities if
nature.
- It was believed that the first mikado (emperor) had a direct lineal
descent from the son of goddess, amaterasu
- It has its shrines and temples for worshipping a god or goddesses
and great men

Sacred books of shinto

1. Ko-ji-ki (records of ancient matters)- traditional myths of creation
and the history of japanese imperial line
2. Nihon-gi- chronicles of japan

Taoism
- one of the three officially recognized religions in china
-founded by lao-tse
 - tao means “way” and referred originally to the way of the
heavens revolving around the earth and causing certain phenomena
on earth

The book of taoism is the tao-the-king meaning the canon of

reason and virtue.it consist of wise sayings and generalizations

Buddhism
- founded by prince siddharta
- he was also called gautama
- He left his wife and son and sought salvation through renunciation
and meditation in ascetic fashion.
- While meditating under the sacred bo tree, he received
enlightenment. So he was also called buddha(the enlightened one)

His enlightenment consisted of four noble truths

1. That all life is subject to sufferings
2. That desire or the will to live is the cause of repeated
existences(transmigration or reincarnation) in whisch sorrow is
inevitable
3. That only the annihilation of desire( yearning, craving, ambition)
can give release
4. That the way of escape is the old eightfold path of:
A. Right belief
B. Right resolve
C. Right word
D. Right act
E. Right life
F. Right effort
G. Right thinking
H. Right meditation

Two sacred scriptures of buddhism

1. Tripitaka or three baskets of teachings such as the
vinaya pitaka or discipline basket: the sutta pitaka or
teaching basket, and the abhidhamma pitaka or meta-
physical basket
2. Dhammapada- a collection of the sayings of buddha
-buddha taught no deity but he was deified and worshipped by his
followers.
-there is no sin against a divine being but there are five prohibitions: do not
kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, or drink

Jainism
- a religion in india and teaching liberation of the soul by right
knowledge, right faith, and right conduct

Christianity
- the religion that is based on the teachings of jesus christ

Confucianism
- is yu kiao in chinese meaning” the system of the learned”

Islam
- Erroneously called mohammedanism
- Religion, doctrines or precepts of mohammed
- Is the infinitive of the word aslam which means to submit

Sikhism
- an adherent of a monotheistic religion in india founded by guru
nanak and marked by rejection of idolatry and caste

Nanak taught that there is only one god whose name is sat name (true
name).in 1708, loyalty shifted from the guru to the granth which is
worshipped today as an idol.

Sin consist mainly in forgetting the true name but those who hunger to
praise the true name shall go to everlasting joy