Feature
The lost art of Shorthand
Star Campus Desk
 Shorthand is an abbreviated, symbolic writing method that improves speed of writing or brevity as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is stenography, from the Greek stenos (narrow, close) and graphos (writing). It has also been called brachygraphy and tachygraphy. Many forms of shorthand exist. Typical shorthand systems provide symbols or abbreviations for words and common phrases, which allow someone well trained in the system to write as quickly as people speak.
Shorthand was used more widely in the past, before the invention of recording and dictation machines. Until recently, shorthand was considered an essential part of secretarial training as well as being useful for journalists. Although the primary use of shorthand has been to record oral dictation or discourse, some systems are used for compact expression. For example, health-care professionals may use shorthand notes in medical charts and correspondence. Shorthand is also common in the food service industry, allowing wait staff to write down detailed orders without delay.
HISTORY
The earliest known indication of shorthand systems is from Ancient Greece, namely the Akropolis stone (Akropolisstein) from mid-4th century BC. The Hellenistic tachygraphy is reported from the 2nd century BC onwards, though there are indications that it might be older. The Hellenistic tachygraphy consisted of word stem signs and of word ending signs. Over the time, many syllabic signs were developed.
In Ancient Rome, Marcus Tullius Tiro (103 BC 4 BC), a slave and later a freedman of Cicero, developed the Tironian notes so he could write down Cicero's speeches. The Tironian notes consisted of word stem abbreviations (notae) and of word ending abbreviations (titulae). The original Tironian notes consisted of about 4000 signs but new signs were introduced so that their number could increase up to 13,000. In order to have a less complex writing system, a syllabic shorthand script was used sometimes.
When many monastery libraries were secularized in the course of the 16th century Protestant Reformation, long-forgotten manuscripts of Tironian notes were rediscovered.
In imperial China, clerks used an abbreviated, highly cursive form of characters to record court proceedings and criminal confessions. These records were used to create more formal transcripts.
An interest in shorthand or "short-writing" developed towards the end of the 16th century in England. In 1588 Timothy Bright published his Characterie; An Arte of Shorte, Swifte and Secrete Writing by Character which introduced a system with 500 arbitrary signs resembling words.
Shelton's system became very popular and is well known because it was used by Samuel Pepys for his diary and for many of his official papers, such as his letter copy books. It was also used by Sir Isaac Newton in some of his notebooks. One drawback of Shelton's system was that there was no way to distinguish long and short vowels or diphthongs; so the b-a-t sequence could mean "bat", or "bait", or "bate", while b-o-t might mean "boot", or "bought", or "boat". The reader needed to use the context to work out which alternative was meant. The main advantage of the system was that it was easy to learn and to use. It was extremely popular, and under the two titles of Short Writing and Tachygraphy, it ran to over 20 editions between 1626 and 1710.
Modern-looking geometric shorthand was introduced with John Byrom's 'New Universal Shorthand' of 1720. Samuel Taylor published a similar system in 1786, the first English shorthand system to be used all over the English-speaking world. script.
Taylor's system was superseded by the Pitman Shorthand, first introduced in 1837 by Isaac Pitman and improved many times since.
Pitman's system was also used all over the English-speaking world. It is still in use, but in the USA (and elsewhere) it has been superseded by the Gregg Shorthand that was first published in 1888 by John Robert Gregg, a system influenced by the handwriting shapes Gabelsberger had introduced.
Classification Shape
Geometric shorthand is based on circles, parts of circles and straight lines placed strictly horizontally, vertically or diagonally. These were the first modern shorthand systems to develop.
The first practical system was the German Gabelsberger shorthand in the early 19th century. This class of system is now common in all more recent German shorthand systems, Austria, Italy, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, other Eastern European countries, Russia, and elsewhere.
Script-Geometric, or semi-script shorthand is based on the ellipse. These systems can be considered a compromise of the geometric systems.
Writing device
Most shorthand systems are written on paper with a stenographer pencil or a stenographer pen. Some consider that only these are shorthand systems strictly speaking.
Machine shorthand is a common term for writing produced by a stenotype, a specialized keyboard.
Common English shorthand systems
One of the most widely known forms of shorthand is the Pitman method, developed by Isaac Pitman in 1837. Isaac's brother Benn Pitman, who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, was responsible for introducing the method to America. The method has been adapted for 15 languages. The system uses a phonemic orthography. For this reason, the system is sometimes known as phonography, meaning 'sound writing' in Greek. One of the reasons this method allows fast transcription is that vowel sounds are optional when only consonants are needed to determine a word.
Although Pitman's method was extremely popular at first (and is still commonly used, especially in the UK) its popularity has been superseded (especially in the United States) by a method developed by John Robert Gregg in 1888. Gregg's system, like Pitman's, is phonetic, but has the advantage of being "light-line". While Pitman's system uses thick and thin strokes to distinguish related sounds, Gregg's uses only thin strokes and makes some of the same distinctions by the length of the stroke.
In the UK, Teeline is now more commonly taught, and used, than Pitman. Teeline is the recommended system of the The National Council for the Training of Journalists. Other less commonly used systems in the UK are Pitman 2000, PitmanScript, Speedwriting and Gregg.
Away from the city…
on the water front
Shahriar Masud
 As life in the city is getting more and more… well, you know what I mean, people are in desperate need of places where they can relax and spend some time away from the daily drudgery. The serene river waters can bring back the throb of life in you!
This is an area where innovative ideas are needed to create the conditions that can have the desired soothing effect on those trapped in a city!
It is good news that some entrepreneurs are coming up with nice ideas. They are setting hotels and motels in the distant tourist spots. Don't you feel like visiting those spots? But how many of them are located near the city? Not many! If time is a factor here, Padma resort has an edge over others. Yes, a clear edge. You can reach the place in less than 100 minutes from Dhaka. The Masjid Ghat on the river Padma in Louhajang upazila is the spot where you have to be present to cross the mighty Padma in a fast-moving speedboat and you can view the very nicely designed Padma Resort. Thrilling proposition! Isn't it?
The thatched roofs of the plain structures have the look of a village home, but you will get whatever you want! You can have more than a picnic! All sorts of pastimes, from horse ride to angling, are available here. And of course you can enjoy the beauty of the majestic Padma by cruising along in speedboats. Well, in winter the river is tranquil like anything. You don't have to bother about any sort of turbulence.
Students of universities can come in great numbers and spend a day out of their academic schedule. Phone: 0171 30 33 049.
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