You know you're a nerd when...

[Pie]

Written being the main word there. the word Written is the difference between a written language and a language. Knowing how to speak a language is different frome spelling it. Like, i knew how to speak inglish before i knew how to write in english.

[nitefyre]

In case it should interest anyone to the answer, hieroglyphics is a language, except it is considered a "idiographic" language. This is similar to non-simplified Chinese in terms of definition.

This is opposed to how Pie writes, which is commonly known as "idiotic" garble.

[Pie]

Eh, i messed up again and my work is goen. i gues i will just ignore you.

But... is that mandorin chinese or the other... one....

[nitefyre]

Don't get me wrong, I applaud your progress

It was just a too easy, senseless stab on my part. I apologize

[Nalaris]

Ahhh, it's dying and we don't have any really funny ones yet. Could someone help us out?

[Dee]

Written being the main word there. the word Written is the difference between a written language and a language. Knowing how to speak a language is different frome spelling it. Like, i knew how to speak inglish before i knew how to write in english.

You're wrong. Hyroglophics (bah whatever the word is) is a language. A spoken and written language. How do you think the Pharoahs communicated with each other? Don't tell me sign language, please.

I heard that Egyptians, especially those who live in the south, still use some of that old language.

Hmm.. I'm really getting interested in learning it... I'll start looking for centres that teach it!

[formerly known as hf]

I studied Hierogliphics (and the spelling varies) a few years back.

It is a only currently known as a written language because it is not spoken (at least in its original form) anymore.

It originally would have been a spoken language as well as written, but we can only speculate as to how to 'say' the hieorogliphics, as no one speaks it anymore.

Then again, there is such a thing as the 'hierogliphic alphabet'. As with any idiographic language, where a 'letter' can mean a whole word, there are more words than there are representations. As such, there is a need for a phonetic alphabet (which for hierogliphics is also idiogrpahic), one through which words without representation can be formed. There is a general understanding of how the phonetic hierogliphic alphabet is spoken. Obviously, this only covers a small proportion of the hierogliphics that are known, no one knows how to 'say' the 'whole words' depicted by one symbol - except in a few rare circuimstances where a word has been depicted both in its phonetic form and through its symbol.

I find it most interesting as it is an idiographic langauge, (as nite pointed out), but one which the images are recognisable. Ancient Chinese is pretty difficult for me to visualise because of my cultural background, whereas hieorgliphics represent more visual recognition for me.

[Nick]

You know you're a nerd (or geek, get off my back) when you debate the difference between nerd and geek.

[Pie]

eh, whatever.

[Nalaris]

You know you're a nerd when you want to go into another debate about the difference between nerd and geek.

[Cheshierekat]

You know you're a nerd when the first thing you do after you get internet (no matter how horrible it is....damn dial-up) you re-sign up for Cantr. Ok, maybe that doesn't make me a nerd. But my roomie screamed that I was one when she saw me signing up.

[Pirate Lass]

Yea you have internet agian!

[N-Aldwitch]

Hehehe, I don't know you but hey, awesome, welcome back! XD