There are several languages in the world which when written progress right to left. So I was wondering how that developed since writing in that direction in the days before quick drying ink (which still doesn’t dry as quick as it could) would result in you making an inky mess all over your arm. I know after the language gets well established that it’s too late to do things like flip the way it’s read but I would think that written language would more naturally progress from left to right as people start with symbols and don’t want to mess the writing up smearing the symbol they just wrote as they move on to the next or their arms as they link them together.
The only thing I can think of is that the areas that have writing that progresses from right to left have a signifigantly greater number of left handed people who would thus find it easier to write in that direction, but I find that explanation unlikely. So what, if anything, is the solution to this?
The ancient Hebrews most certainly wrote from right to left, and did so with ink on parchment.
And left-handedness is definitely considered as abnormal amongst Jews as it is amongst other cultures.
Most likely they were simply taught to hold their quills in a way that the hand was above the parchment. That was their natural way of holding the quill, so didn’t feel odd to them as it would to us, who practically drag our hands across our paper while using a ball-point pen.
Considering that it is found among less than 14% of the population, and the common theory is that it is caused by chemical imbalance in the brain in the womb, I’d say “abnormality” is a fitting word for it. Doesn’t make me feel bad, though.
But did they **develop their writing system[/] with ink on parchment? Are there no ancient Hebrew tablets or inscriptions? Obviously, one can adapt to writing with ink, but it seems unlikely that all right-to-left languages were developed using it.
I don’t know the actual history on this, but I’m pretty sure that there’s some credibility to it. People in Chinese movies that I’ve watched that take place in “the olden days” wrote with long paintbrushes with their arms extended, wrists cocked back and sleeves rolled up. I guess ergonomics weren’t invented then.
Greek was written right and left–one way in one line, the other in the next. the Greek name for this translates something like “as the ox plows.” As far as I know, writing by pressing a stylus into a soft substance, or other forms of carving or impression, predates inking. As far as I know there’s no evidence that the cultures named had a higher than average incidence of left handedness. Anyway, some writing systems are vertical.
Check out Ziyi Zhang in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon doing traditional Chinese calligraphy with a brush. She’s wearing the ultra-wide Chinese sleeves. Very fancy silk embroidery there, no doubt very expensive. Not something to be mussed up with ink. Observe the graceful way she catches up the sleeve with her left hand and holds it clear of the ink as she calligraphs.