Logogrammien

Logogrammien are a type of graphic symbol that represents a word or a meaningful part of a word. Unlike alphabetic scripts where symbols represent sounds, logograms represent meaning directly. This means that a single logogram can be understood by speakers of different languages, even if they pronounce the words differently. Common examples of logograms include the ampersand (&) which represents "and," the number sign (#) which can represent "number," and the dollar sign ($) which signifies a unit of currency.

The most well-known system that extensively uses logograms is the Chinese writing system. Each character in Chinese typically represents a morpheme, which is the smallest unit of meaning in a language. Japanese also incorporates kanji, which are adopted Chinese logograms, into its writing system. However, it's important to note that many logographic systems also include phonetic components to help with pronunciation or to distinguish between homophones (words that sound alike but have different meanings). The use of logograms can facilitate communication across linguistic barriers in certain contexts, as their visual representation of meaning can be more universally understood than spoken words.