Abstract
The Korean writing system, Hangul, is an “alphabetic syllabary” which employs many of the good and few of the bad features of an alphabet, a syllabary, and a logography. An alphabet can represent any word in the language, one phoneme at a time, but the phoneme-grapheme correspondence may be imperfect, and a single word may require a long array of letters. A syllable is a more stable unit of language than a phoneme, but a simple syllabary is practical only for a language with few different syllables. A logography, with a unique symbol for each morpheme, requires more complex and more numerous symbols. Korean text uses Hangul mixed with Chinese characters in a manner which aids reading.
Keywords
- Target Letter
- Chinese Character
- Test Word
- Rhyme Word
- Alphabetic System
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Reference notes
Kinney, G. C., Marsetta, M., & Showman, D. J. Studies in display symbol legibility. Part XII. The legibility of alphanumeric symbols for digitized television. Bedford, Mass.: The Mitre Corporation, ESD-TR-66,117, 1966.
Sakamoto, T. On reading skills of vertical versus horizontal sentences. Paper read at the 3rd Annual Congress of the Japanese Association of Educational Psychology, Nagoya, 1961.
References
Brooks, L. Visual pattern in fluent word identification. In A. S. Reber & D. L. Scarborough (Eds.), Toward a psychology of reading. Hillsdale, N. J.: Erlbaum, 1977.
Diringer, D. The alphabet. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1968.
Drewnowski, A., & Healy, A. Detection errors on “the” and “and”: Evidence for reading units larger than the word. Memory & Cognition, 1977, 5, 636–647.
Gelb, I.J. A study of writing (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963.
Gleitman, L. R., & Rozin, P. Teaching reading by use of a syllabary. Reading Research Quarterly, 1973, 8, 447–483.
Gray, W. S. The teaching of reading and writing. Paris: UNESCO, 1956.
Hatta, T. Recognition of Japanese Kanji and Hirakana in the left and right visual Avoids. Japanese Psychological Research, 1978, 20, 51–59.
Jensen, H. Sign, symbol and script. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1970.
Karlgren, B. Sound and symbol in Chinese. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 1962.
Kitao, N., Hatta, T., Ishida, M., & Babazono, Y. Concreteness, hieroglyphicity and familiarity of Kanji. Japanese Journal of Psychology, 1977, 48, 105–111 (in Japanese with English abstract).
Kolers, P. A. Three stages of reading. In H. Levin & J. P. Williams (Eds.), Basic: studies on reading. New York: Basic Books, 1970.
Kuo, W. F. A preliminary study of reading disabilities in the Republic of China. Collection of papers by National Taiwan University, 1978, 20, 57–78.
Lee, J.-H. Hun-minjeoung eum [Correct pronunciation of lettersfor teaching people]: An explanation and translation. Seoul, Korea: Korean Library Science Research Institute, 1972 (in English and Korean).
Liberman, I. Y., Shankweiler, D., Fisher, F. W., & Carter, B. Explicit syllable and phoneme segmentation in the young child. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1974, 18, 201–212.
Makita, K. The rarity of reading disability in Japanese children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1968, 38, 599–614.
Martin, S. E. Nonalphabetic writing systems: Some observations. In J. F. Kavanagh & I. G. Mattingly (Eds.), Language by ear and by eye. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1972.
O’Regan, K. Saccade size control in reading: Evidence for the linguistic control hypothesis. Perception & Psychophysics, 1979, 25, 501–509.
Park, S., & Arbuckle, T. Y. Ideograms versus alphabets: Effects of script on memory in “biscriptual” Korean subjects. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 1977, 3, 631–642.
Rayner, K. Visual attention in reading: Eye movements reflect cognitive processes. Memory & Cognition, 1977, 5, 443–448.
Sasanuma, S. Kana and Kanji processing in Japanese aphasics. Brain and Language, 1975, 2, 369–383.
Schindler, R. M. The effect of prose content on visual search for letter. Memory & Cognition, 1978, 2, 124–130.
Taylor, I. Writing systems and reading. In T. G. Waller &G. E. MacKinnon (Eds.), Reading research: Advances in theory and practice (Vol. II). New York: Academic Press (in press).
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1980 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Taylor, I. (1980). The Korean writing system: An alphabet? A syllabary? a logography?. In: Kolers, P.A., Wrolstad, M.E., Bouma, H. (eds) Processing of Visible Language. Nato Conference Series, vol 13. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1068-6_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1068-6_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-1070-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-1068-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive