Hi all,

A question about logographs and ideographs came up on another list,
and I would like to ask your opinion.

The "+" sign in the English language, is it a logograph or a
ideograph?

1) One party says: ideograph, as it is conceptual, depending upon
context it can mean: added to, as well as, with, enhanced, moreover;
it has no single fixed meaning. Its meaning is always determined by
context. In circuitry, it signals positive polarity, in "B+ students"
"with a higher grade than a mere B", in "C + +" it means yet
something else (very updated), etc.

2) The other party says: logograph, for it always represents the
word "plus"; that the word "plus" can have different shades of
meaning according to the context is a totally different issue.
The "+" sign itself does not convey an idea of addition or
another meaning.

Who is right?

As a side note - has anyone here heard about the term "Scriptologist"
and would anyone here call him/herself thus?

kind regards,
Aayko Eyma