Topic: Introduction to Shorthand
CONTENT:
1. Meaning and Brief History of Shorthand
2. Importance of Shorthand
Sub-Topic 1: Meaning and Brief History of Shorthand:
Meaning of Shorthand:
Shorthand can be defined as the art of representing spoken sound (words) by written signs. The sounds heard in English words are represented by “sign” in shorthand. Therefore, shorthand is “phonetic” or “phonographic” that is, it deals with pronunciation according to sounds and not spelling.
Examples are (i) Palm is written as p-ah-m
(ii) Coal is written as k-oh-l
(iii) Pale is written as p-ay-l
Brief History of Shorthand:
As far back as the 4th century B.C. the growth of shorthand could be traced by the Egyptians, Hebrews, Persians and Greeks. During the time of the Roman Empire, shorthand was generally used to record the history of the very popular and powerful nation. Credit for the first Latin system of shorthand is often given to Marcus Tulles Trio (about 103 B.C.), a Roman slave who was freed by his master Cicero. His Latin shorthand lasted for about 100 years. The reign of Emperor Augustus at the time of Jesus Christ generated a great deal of interest in the coming alive of shorthand. Emperor Titus, Julius Ceasar, a host of Roman bishops, statement orators, poets and philosophers were accomplished shorthand writers..
Modern shorthand started in the 16th century and it led to the achievement of Englishmen. It has been recorded that the English cleric, Timothy Bright (1551-1615), produced a system which he titled “Characteristic” the art of short, swift and secret writing by character. He is generally acknowledged as the inventor of modern shorthand. About fourteen years later John Wills (1902) wrote alphabetical shorthand which was entitled “The art of stenography or short writing by spellings characterize”. He is also designated as one of the inventors of modern shorthand. In 1962, William Cartright (1611 – 1643) a dramatist, produced a system which was further advance in shorthand development popularly known as “Stenography”. In 1707, the stenographer and writing master ‘William Manson’ (1672 -1709) produced his work on shorthand titled ‘La Plume Volante, or the art of shorthand hnyrvid’. Manson’s method was used to record sermons and to translate the Bible in the years following the reformation. The poet and hymn writer, John Bryon (1692-1763) during his life-time, contributed greatly to the development of shorthand by improving the systems that were in existence.
Then next remarkable achievement in the development of shorthand was that of the English Stenographer, Sir Isaac Pitman (1813-1897) who advocated spelling reforms and devised numerous shorthand systems. In 1837, at the age of twenty four (24), Pitman was a student studying the Taylor system of shorthand published in stenograph sound hand. This was due to the weakness he noticed in the Taylor’s system.
Despite the improvements and modernization seen in the previous systems of shorthand that had existed, the Pitman shorthand system stood its ground as nations began to realize and deemed it necessary that records, facts and information concerning government should be preserved. The greatest encouragement to Pitman shorthand was made by the British Parliament in 1772 when they allowed shorthand writers to attend their parliamentary debates. This was when England was beginning to administer a vast empire which resulted in the spread of English language for administrative purposes and this in turn enhanced the spread of Pitman’s shorthand which later became a recognized subject of instruction in vocational education, hence the publication of the first edition of Pitman’s shorthand in 1837. In 1840, the second edition of his work appeared under the title ”Phonography” being a new and natural system of shorthand.
EVALUATION:
1. Define Shorthand.
2. State the years that can be associated with the following names in the development of shorthand:
(a) Marcus Tullius Trio
(b) Timothy Bright
(c) John Wills
(d) Isaac Pitman
Sub-Topic 2: Importance of Shorthand:
The importance and the objectives of shorthand cannot be over emphasized. Shorthand is a very useful skill for everyone.
1. It can be used for taking down notes in class and in public lectures.
2. It can be used as a means of earning livelihood.
3. Knowledge of shorthand assists students to take dictation with enough speed and accuracy.
4. It develops in the student the ability to know and identify various sounds heard and record same in shorthand.
5. It enables students to improve their knowledge of English, spelling and punctuation before transcription is introduced.
6. It develops desirable stenographic traits and habits in students to enable the students appreciate the opportunity open to stenographers.
MAJOR SHORTHAND SYSTEM
Shorthand signs are known as outlines which consist of strokes, dots and dashes. Shorthand stroke are usually written in pairs. Light sounding consonants are represented with light strokes while heavy sounding consonants are represented with heavy strokes.
In Pitman’s shorthand, there are twenty four consonants or stroke, twelve vowels and four diphthongs
In Pitman shorthand, speed in writing and reading are achieved by following a coherent and comprehensive system. Each sound has its sign, and sound of the same family have signs with an appropriate family likeness so that with a little practice, the sign seems to produce themselves like snapshots from the sounds and the sound themselves seems to speak from the written page.
Some of the systems to be used in writing good and accurate shorthand will include: pairing of consonants, elimination of vowel signs and position writing.
Topic: PITMAN SHORTHAND (CONSONANTS)
Content: (i) Meaning of consonants
(ii) Basic shorthand principles
(iii) The first six groups
(iv) Joining of consonants
(v) Phrasing
(vi) Punctuation marks.
Sub-Topic 1: Meaning of consonants; Basic shorthand principles and The first six groups
shorthand.png
MEANING OF CONSONANTS
Consonant is a speech sound produced by party or totally blocking the path of airways
through the mouth or nose. In shorthand, there are twenty-six consonants where alphabets
‘H’ and ‘R’ carry two consonants each.
BASIC SHORTHAND PRINCIPLE
There are basically two principles or rule governing shorthand. These are;
(1) Representation of shorthand consonants with light or thick strokes e.g.
P----\----- D---I------
(2) Representation of vowel sounds with dots and dashes e.g. a-------- o----------
FIRST SIX CONSONANTS IN SHORTHAND
P------------- B--------------
T------------- D--------------
CH---------- J---------------
Further Studies
Sub-Topic 2: Joining of consonants; Phrasing and Punctuation marks.
JOINING OF CONSONANTS
Shorthand outlines or strokes may be joined together without lifting of pencil while writing. The following are the examples of how to join the outlines together:
PB------------- TD---------------- CHJ-----------------
BT------------------- PD---------------- TP---------------------
PHRASING:
Phrasing is the joining of outlines without lifting the pencil in order to increase writing speed. The outlines formed are known as PHRASES. Join outlines only when it is easy and convenient to do so. In a phrase, the word (the) is represented by a tick joined to the stroke it follows. This tick is written upward or downwards to form a sharp angle. In order to join the small ticks (the) to outlines P and B, it must be written on the left hand side of P and B.
Note: Whenever a sentence begins with (the), the short form dot (.) is used, while at the middle of the sentence, the tick is used.
Example: to the ----------------------- of the --------------------- and the--------------------
Pay the------------------- date the--------------------------
PUNCTUATION MARKS:
The following are the punctuation marks used in shorthand:
Full stop-------------------- question mark-------------------------
Exclamation mark------------- dash-----------------------
Parenthesis (brackets)------------------ hyphen---------------------
Evaluation:
(a) Define consonant.
(b) Mention and represent the first six vowels in shorthand
Topic: PITMAN SHORTHAND (Consonant and Vowel)
CONTENTS: (i) Second group of consonants
(ii) First place vowel (above the line)
(iii) Third place vowel (through the line)
Sub-Topic 1: Second Group of Consonant (Continuants)
f--------- v-------------, th-----------, Th--------
s----------- z-------- sh---------- zh--------------
Activity 1
Students should write the following: The arrow --- shows the direction in which the stroke is to be written. The curves m, n, ng and the straight strokes k and g are written on the line.
PB-------------------------- T, D--------------------------
CH-------------------------- K, G--------------------------
(Chay) (gay)
Ref: Business Studies for Junior Secondary schools published jointly by Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council and Nelson Publishers Limited. Students Activity 1-4 from Page 98-100.
JOINING OF CONSONANTS
Consonants are easily joined together without lifting the pen; join the second consonant where the first ends, and write the stroke in its proper direction. Note that the first stroke rests on the line.
Ptpd p chpjbt
Sub-Topic 2: VOWELS
Vowels are represented by either dots or dashes written alongside the consonants strokes. When a vowel comes before a consonant, it is places before the stroke (left side). When a vowel comes after a consonant, it is placed after the stroke (right side).
There are three places alongside a stroke in which vowel may be written: beginning, middle and end, or first, second and third places. At first place, vowels are placed at the beginning of the consonant, at the second place, the vowels are placed at the middle of the consonant while at the end, the
FIRST PLACE VOWEL (above the line)
EVALUATION
1. Define Shorthand.
2. State five importance of shorthand.
READING ASSIGNMENT
Business Studies for Junior Secondary School 2 produced by Cross River State Government
chapter 14 pages 79-82
ASSIGNMENT
1. Shorthand is written according to ------------ (a) signs (b) sound (c) spellings
2. The first Latin Shorthand was written by (a) Isaac Pitman (b) Marus Tullius Tiro
(c) Timothy Bright
3. Who produced the system of shorthand titled ‘Characteristic”? (a) Julius Ceasar (b) Timothy Bright (c) William Cartright
4. What was the title of the art of shorthand used to record sermons and to translate the Bible? (a) Characteristic (b) Semography (c) La Plume Volante
5. Which of the Shorthand has become a recognized subject of instruction in vocational education? (a) Trio’s shorthand (b) Manson’s shorthand (c) Pitman’s shorthand
THEORY
1. Pitman shorthand was introduced in what year and by whom.
2. Why is shorthand so important to you as a student?
Further Studies
