Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA26669 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 24 May 2000 16:26:21 +0100 Subject: writing from here to there Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 11:23:51 -0400 x-sender: wsmith1@camail2.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas est veritas From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "memetics list" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Message-ID: <20000524152352.AAA24915@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On 05/24/00 10:09, Vincent Campbell said this-
>where's the greater utility in left to right or right to left?
Well, with right-handers, and wet ink pens or quills, writing from left
to right allows the ink time to dry without the hand getting in the way,
and is a more natural flow of muscle utility.
But since right-handedness is universally at a greater percentage than
left-handedness, there is really no simple reason why right to left
writing began. Some origin cause, because they didn't use ink? That
doesn't explain chinese very well, because with the way the brush is held
in calligraphy, it would make sense to go left to right, and down to up.
Great question.
- Wade
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