Ideographs represent one of the oldest and most enduring ways of recording human thought. By using visual symbols to represent ideas, early writing systems allowed for the transmission of complex concepts across time and space. While ideographs are no longer used universally, they continue to thrive in languages like Chinese, where each character is loaded with meaning. Understanding ideographs is key to understanding how human societies have evolved their systems of communication and the art of written expression.
No exact match translations found for 'ideograph' in urdu.
Word 'ideograph' in Other Languages
- ideograph in Assamese অসমীয়া
- ideograph in Bengali বাংলা
- ideograph in Bodo बड़ो
- ideograph in Dogri डोगरी
- ideograph in English
- ideograph in Gujarati ગુજરાતી
- ideograph in Hindi हिन्दी
- ideograph in Kannada ಕನ್ನಡ
- ideograph in Kashmiri कॉशुर
- ideograph in Konkani कोंकणी
- ideograph in Maithili মৈথিলী
- ideograph in Malayalam മലയാളം
- ideograph in Manipuri মৈতৈলোন্
- ideograph in Marathi मराठी
- ideograph in Nepali नेपाली
- ideograph in Oriya ଓଡ଼ିଆ
- ideograph in Punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
- ideograph in Sanskrit संस्कृतम्
- ideograph in Santali
- ideograph in Sindhi سنڌي
- ideograph in Tamil தமிழ்
- ideograph in Telugu తెలుగు
- ideograph in Urdu اُردُو
Ideograph
Part of Speech
Noun
Pronunciation
/ˈaɪ.dɪəˌɡræf/
Definitions
- A written symbol that represents an idea or concept without indicating the pronunciation of a word, often used in logographic writing systems like Chinese and Egyptian hieroglyphs.
- An image or symbol used in a written language that conveys meaning directly rather than by phonetic representation.
Usage Examples
- The Chinese character for "mountain" is an ideograph that visually represents a mountain.
- Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs included ideographs that depicted objects, actions, and abstract ideas.
Etymology
Ideograph comes from the Greek words "idea" meaning "idea" or "form" and "graph" meaning "writing" or "drawn." The term was coined to describe a type of written symbol that represents a concept or idea, without indicating the pronunciation of a word. Ideographs are typically used in logographic writing systems.
Synonyms
- Symbol
- Glyph
- Character
Antonyms
- Phonogram
- Letter
- Alphabet
Translations
| Language | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Ideograma | /ˈide.oˌɡɾa.ma/ |
| French | Idéogramme | /ide.oɡʁam/ |
| German | Ideogramm | /ˈidɛoɡʁam/ |
| Italian | Ideogramma | /ideoˈɡɾamma/ |
| Russian | Идеограмма | /ideogramma/ |
| Chinese | 表意文字 | /biǎoyì wénzì/ |
| Hindi | प्रतीकचित्र | /pratīkacitra/ |
| Bengali | প্রতীকচিত্র | /pratīkacitra/ |
| Tamil | சின்னம் | /ciṉṉam/ |
| Telugu | ప్రతీక చిహ్నం | /pratīka cihnaṁ/ |
| Kannada | ಪ್ರತೀಕ ಚಿಹ್ನೆ | /pratīka cihne/ |
| Malayalam | പ്രതീകചിഹ്നം | /pratīkacihnaṁ/ |
Regional Pronunciation Variations
- UK: /ˈaɪ.dɪəˌɡræf/
- US: /ˈaɪ.dɪəˌɡræf/
- Australia: /ˈaɪ.dɪəˌɡræf/
Historical Usage
The use of ideographs can be traced back to early written systems like Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and Sumerian cuneiform. These early writing systems relied on symbols that directly represented ideas or objects. In modern times, ideographs are primarily used in logographic languages such as Chinese and Japanese, where characters symbolize concepts rather than phonetic sounds.
Cultural Nuances
In Chinese culture, ideographs hold significant aesthetic and philosophical value. Calligraphy is not only a form of writing but also an art form, where the balance and flow of ideographs express the beauty of language. The visual nature of ideographs also gives them a symbolic power, as they can convey complex ideas or concepts in a single character, making them more than just tools of communication.