History of Shorthand
The following article was printed in the Minidoka County News Sept. 2006
By LISA DAYLEY
Minidoka County News
Are you Egyptian?
That’s what I was asked recently while interviewing a woman who wondered what language I was using to take notes.
I just laughed.
I’ve been asked, “what’s that crazy language?” numerous times in the past 20 years of reporting.
That crazy language is called shorthand.
“That’s a lost art,” I had a gentleman tell me while he watched me scribble away during an interview.
It definitely is lost.
With the advent of tape recorders and computers, there really isn’t a need for it - or is there?
Shorthand, as the name implies, shortens writing into various strokes based on the phonics system. For example the letters beginning “kite” and “cake” would be written in the same way.
I admit it all does look a little Egyptian.
Even the ancient Egyptians had their own shorthand dubbed Hieratic or Demotic. A websearch reported the Egyptians created their version “as (simplified) alternatives to their complex Hieroglyphic script.”
I’ve often had people say “it’s Greek to me” when seeing me take notes. They couldn’t be more right.
In Fourth Century B.C., Greeks invented their own symbol system where they “reduced letters to a single stroke and which could also be used to represent common words, suffixes and prefixes,” says the web.
That was all thanks to Cicero’s secretary Tiro who shortened the Roman language to help him record Cicero’s speeches. Europeans also got into the act and during the Middle Ages used what was later called Tironian.
Not to be left out, the Chinese during the Han Dynasty (207BC-220AD) created Xingshu (running script) and Căoshū (grass script). “In the Running script some of the strokes that make up characters are joined and others are left out. In the Grass script each character is written with a single continuous stroke, and there is considerable variation in how this is done,” reports the web.
Fast forward to 1888, and American John Robert Gregg created Gregg Shorthand.
Gregg Shorthand is what I learned about 28 years ago at Highland High School in Pocatello, Idaho USA.
Shorthand was as fun to learn as it was easy. It took an entire school year to learn, but by the time I was done - and thanks to my teacher Barbara Koetter - it stuck in my brain like glue.
I used shorthand in college to take notes in class. It also came in quite handy during interviews for the school newspaper. After I graduated, I continued using shorthand in various writing jobs. I found it sure beat hauling around a tape recorder that could easily gobble up tape or a laptop computer that could easily crash any time.
From what I understand this lost art of shorthand is truly lost. Much to her disappointment, Mrs. Koetter says it is no longer taught at the high school level. From what I understand, just a handful of shorthand classes are taught at the college level.
Since I’ve been reporting, I’ve met only three journalists who used shorthand. To me, that’s a shame. It only makes sense that college journalism courses require shorthand.
While it’s not taught in school, I found 4,650,000 references to “learning shorthand” so apparently somebody in cyberspace is teaching it.
Thank Heavens.
One word of advice for educators, bring back shorthand. Editors across the country – and Mrs. Koetter - will thank you.
Also check out the following Famous American Battles" "Quilting in Idaho" The Bonneville Flood in Cassia County The History of Shorthand WWII Women's Auxiliary Volunteer Emergency
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By LISA DAYLEY
Minidoka County News
Are you Egyptian?
That’s what I was asked recently while interviewing a woman who wondered what language I was using to take notes.
I just laughed.
I’ve been asked, “what’s that crazy language?” numerous times in the past 20 years of reporting.
That crazy language is called shorthand.
“That’s a lost art,” I had a gentleman tell me while he watched me scribble away during an interview.
It definitely is lost.
With the advent of tape recorders and computers, there really isn’t a need for it - or is there?
Shorthand, as the name implies, shortens writing into various strokes based on the phonics system. For example the letters beginning “kite” and “cake” would be written in the same way.
I admit it all does look a little Egyptian.
Even the ancient Egyptians had their own shorthand dubbed Hieratic or Demotic. A websearch reported the Egyptians created their version “as (simplified) alternatives to their complex Hieroglyphic script.”
I’ve often had people say “it’s Greek to me” when seeing me take notes. They couldn’t be more right.
In Fourth Century B.C., Greeks invented their own symbol system where they “reduced letters to a single stroke and which could also be used to represent common words, suffixes and prefixes,” says the web.
That was all thanks to Cicero’s secretary Tiro who shortened the Roman language to help him record Cicero’s speeches. Europeans also got into the act and during the Middle Ages used what was later called Tironian.
Not to be left out, the Chinese during the Han Dynasty (207BC-220AD) created Xingshu (running script) and Căoshū (grass script). “In the Running script some of the strokes that make up characters are joined and others are left out. In the Grass script each character is written with a single continuous stroke, and there is considerable variation in how this is done,” reports the web.
Fast forward to 1888, and American John Robert Gregg created Gregg Shorthand.
Gregg Shorthand is what I learned about 28 years ago at Highland High School in Pocatello, Idaho USA.
Shorthand was as fun to learn as it was easy. It took an entire school year to learn, but by the time I was done - and thanks to my teacher Barbara Koetter - it stuck in my brain like glue.
I used shorthand in college to take notes in class. It also came in quite handy during interviews for the school newspaper. After I graduated, I continued using shorthand in various writing jobs. I found it sure beat hauling around a tape recorder that could easily gobble up tape or a laptop computer that could easily crash any time.
From what I understand this lost art of shorthand is truly lost. Much to her disappointment, Mrs. Koetter says it is no longer taught at the high school level. From what I understand, just a handful of shorthand classes are taught at the college level.
Since I’ve been reporting, I’ve met only three journalists who used shorthand. To me, that’s a shame. It only makes sense that college journalism courses require shorthand.
While it’s not taught in school, I found 4,650,000 references to “learning shorthand” so apparently somebody in cyberspace is teaching it.
Thank Heavens.
One word of advice for educators, bring back shorthand. Editors across the country – and Mrs. Koetter - will thank you.
Also check out the following Famous American Battles" "Quilting in Idaho" The Bonneville Flood in Cassia County The History of Shorthand WWII Women's Auxiliary Volunteer Emergency
HOME
Yahoo Quick Search
This page has been visited
times.
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