Logographic
11 scripts
Chinese Characters
Over 50,000 characters exist but literacy requires knowing only 3,000 to 4,000. The oldest...
Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Over 7,000 known symbols, about 1,000 commonly used. Combines logographic and alphabetic e...
Cuneiform
The oldest known writing system, invented by the Sumerians. Written by pressing a wedge-sh...
Maya Script
The most sophisticated writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. Over 1,000 known glyp...
Sign Writing
A writing system for sign languages. Invented by Valerie Sutton. Can record any sign langu...
Luwian Hieroglyphs
The indigenous writing of the Hittite empire and later kingdoms of Anatolia. Over 500 pict...
Hieratic
The cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphs, written with ink on papyrus. Developed at nearly...
Khitan Scripts
The writing of the Khitan people who ruled the Liao dynasty. Two systems existed: a large ...
Tangut Script
Invented by imperial command for the Tangut or Western Xia dynasty. Nearly 6,000 character...
Nom Script
The Vietnamese adaptation of Chinese characters for writing native words. Up to 20,000 cha...
Dongba Script
The pictographic writing of the Naxi people of Yunnan. About 1,400 picture signs depicting...