64 The Loom oj Language

for each of them may represent a quality or an activity common to
two objects Thus the logogram for the word MING, which can mean
bright, is made up of the character for the moon next to the character
for the sun Originally the characters were recognisable picture
symbols, and the composite sign would then have been something

Combined
with

Alone

*

X

TT

K

7"

P
L

t-J

hH

TTt

CLA
F1-A

iUL

\A/V

R

M

TC

T

N

'!' N X

-KGn

J

0 A

F.V

X

FIG 13 —THE ANCIFNT CYPRIOTIC SYLLABARY
Showing the five vowel signs in the top row and the symbols for open syllables
made by combining any or all of them with the consonant sound represented
by the letter in the left hand vertical column. Thus the symbols oi the second
row run ka^ ke, hi., ko3 ku
like this O ([. In the course of centuries tie basic picture symbols
have become more and more conventionalized., partly owing to chanees
in the use of writing instruments (style, brush, wood blocks), or of
materials (bone, ink, paper).
A second sort of compound characters (Fig* 43) is a half-hearted step
towards sound writing, based on the time-honoured device of punning,