Blind and Visually Impaired Community
↑
4
↓
Where did Braille contractions come from? (self.Blind)
submitted by Altie-McAltface
I've been wondering about this lately. I can think of two sources: shorthand systems and telegraph codes. Both would be pretty heavily used in the 1800s when Braille was developed.
Tarnagona 9 points 1y ago
The Bible. Contracted Braille was developed to save space when transcribing the Bible. That’s why you have contractions for “spirit” and “lord”, and k = “knowledge” instead of some more common k-word (like, IDK, “know”!?).
Contracted Braille was also clearly not invented by someone who understood how letters represent sounds, or else “ing” would be spelt I-ng , not in-g, because NG in English most often represents a single sound so having it split up like that is *really weird*. Ahem, let me just put this soapbox away.
Anyway, while the impetus for contracted Braille came from the Bible, you’re probably right that shorthand and/or telegraph codes may well have provided inspiration.
Contracted Braille was also clearly not invented by someone who understood how letters represent sounds, or else “ing” would be spelt I-ng , not in-g, because NG in English most often represents a single sound so having it split up like that is *really weird*. Ahem, let me just put this soapbox away.
Anyway, while the impetus for contracted Braille came from the Bible, you’re probably right that shorthand and/or telegraph codes may well have provided inspiration.
CloudyBeep 3 points 1y ago
To add to this, Grade 3 Braille, an unofficial braille shorthand code invented in about 1908, also has contractions for Christ, God, faith, glory, grace and holy. Remember that even grade 2 Braille also has a contraction for thyself, but that word was no longer used in contemporary writing when Grade 2 Braille was invented.
retrolental_morose 4 points 1y ago
I don't know which committee(s) are responsible, but things like Spirit, Lord and knowledge seemed weird to me as a child.
I enjoyed $1 too.
Be interested to get a fuller answer on this by those much cleverr than I.
I enjoyed $1 too.
Be interested to get a fuller answer on this by those much cleverr than I.
Eternalchemy 2 points 1y ago
Contractions have been used for millennia in carvings and ink writings, and it would make sense that the very first users of the several Braille variants and New York Point invented some right away - they are mentioned in $1. But it is not clear how the unification committee chose which ones to keep or change or add. It was not very scientific, to say the least.
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.