Re: "kaida" pictographic script and "suuchuuma" numerals

--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@...>
wrote:

> John Cowan wrote:
> >
> > node_ue scripsit:
> >
> > > Actually, now that I think about it, with the amount of

information I

> > > have, I'm not sure they can actually be used to write anything

in

> > > Yonaguni, since I've never seen any examples of their use. It's

quite

> > > possible that they were just used to record financial

transactions

> > > ("so-and-so sold X amount of barley...") and the like.
> >
> > Well, if it comes to that, we have no evidence that Linear B was

used

> > for any other purpose either, although it certainly could have

been.

>
> But it's clearly a writing system. Is the Ryukyuan phenomenon

clearly

> one?

The problem with calling it the "Ryukyuan phenomenon" is that there
is more than one possible writing system in the Ryukyus (in addition
to the "kaida" characters, there are the quipus of Miyako Island, and
various writing-like inscriptions in stone as well as old manuscripts
talking about other scripts)

...anyhow...

I'm not sure about whether or not Kaida characters form a writing
system, since I don't have enough information on them. They may form
one, or they may only be the beginnings of a writing system.

It seems strange to me that there seems to be almost no research on
them and almost no interest in them.

Perhaps the Yonaguni Ethnographic Museum has this sort of information.