Scriptio continua: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:55, 24 July 2024

Revision as of 05:34, 4 August 2024

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When word separation became the standard system, it was seen as a simplification of Roman culture because it undermined the metric and rhythmic fluency generated through {{lang|la|scriptio continua}}. In contrast, paleographers today identify the extinction of {{lang|la|scriptio continua}} as a critical factor in augmenting the widespread absorption of knowledge in the pre-Modern Era. By saving the reader the taxing process of interpreting pauses and breaks, the inclusion of spaces enables the brain to comprehend written text more rapidly. Furthermore, the brain has a greater capacity to profoundly synthesize text and commit a greater portion of information to memory.<ref name=Saenger-1997/>{{RP|16–17}}

{{lang|la|Scriptio continua}} is still in use in [[Thai script]], other Southeast Asian [[abugida]]s: ([[Burmese alphabet|Burmese]], [[Lao alphabet|Lao]], [[Khmer alphabet|Khmer]], [[Javanese script|Javanese]], [[Balinese script|Balinese]], [[Sundanese script]]), [[Lao alphabet|Lao]], and in languages that use [[Chinese character]]s ([[Chinese language|Chinese]] and [[Japanese language|Japanese]]). However, modern [[vernacular Chinese]] differentiates itself from ancient {{lang|la|scriptio continua}} through its use of punctuation, although this method of separation was borrowed from the West only in the 19th and 20th centuries. Before this, the only forms of punctuation found in Chinese writings were marks to denote quotes, proper nouns, and emphasis. Modern [[Tibetic languages]] also employ a form of {{lang|la|scriptio continua}}; while they punctuate syllables, they do not use spacing between units of meaning.

==Examples==