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Notational systems are distinct cognitive systems with different material prehistories

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2023

Karenleigh A. Overmann Open the ORCID record for Karenleigh A. Overmann [Opens in a new window]
Karenleigh A. Overmann*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Center for Cognitive Archaeology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO, USA koverman@uccs.edu; https://uccs.academia.edu/KarenleighOvermann
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Abstract

Notations are cognitive systems involving distinctive psychological functions, behaviors, and material forms. Seen through this lens, two main types – semasiography and visible language – are fundamentally differentiated by their material prehistories, emphasis on iconography, and the centrality of language's combinatorial faculty. These fundamental differences suggest that key qualities (iconicity, expressiveness, concision) are difficult to conjoin in a single system.

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Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 46 , 2023 , e250
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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