Silabográfica

Silabográfica is a term used in linguistics and semiotics to describe a type of writing system where symbols represent syllables rather than individual sounds or entire words. This system bridges the gap between alphabetic systems, which use characters for phonemes (basic sound units), and logographic systems, which use characters for whole words or morphemes.

In a silabográfica system, each distinct syllable in a language has its own unique symbol. For example, if a language has the syllables "ba," "be," and "bi," each of these would have a separate character. This means that the number of symbols in a silabográfica script is typically larger than in an alphabet but significantly smaller than in a logographic system. The complexity lies in learning the inventory of syllable signs rather than individual letters or a vast array of word signs.

Examples of silabográfica scripts include the Cherokee syllabary developed by Sequoyah, and the Japanese kana scripts (hiragana and katakana). These systems were often developed for languages with relatively simple syllable structures. The development of such scripts can be a significant step in literacy, as it provides a more manageable system for representing spoken language compared to purely logographic approaches. The efficiency of a silabográfica system depends heavily on the phonological structure of the language it represents.