Pictographs  are pictures which resemble what they signify, and were the basis of  ancient Sumerian, Egyptian, and Chinese written language. Pictographs are still in use as the main medium of written communication in some non-literate cultures in Africa, The Americas, and Oceania, and we see them  today in traffic signs all around us and our cute little dancing emotions offered in various online communications. No matter how sophisticated our language becomes, there will always be a place for the pictograph. Their raw symbolism gets straight to the point and saves a lot of words, which is why we use them today. Who has time to write a sentence when you can click one button and have a dancing square of yellow say it for you? Besides, it's fun. These are all the little fellows from the gmail options.                                                                                                                                                                                      … [Read more...]