BASIC INFOGRAPHIC

Why are languages written in different directions?

Directionality of script

Contrary to what a lay person might believe, the directionality of writing is not limited to left-to-right + top-to-bottom and right-to-left + top-to-bottom. One common explanation of the prevalence of LTR scripts is the amount of right-handed people, hence making it easier to write in this direction, yet there is a variety of other factors that influence this. At the same time, it should be stated that there is no definite answer on this question, only hypotheses.

Material

Instrument

Position

The direction of the script is also influenced by the instrument used by the writer. For example, in case of Hebrew, when it was chiseled on stone or clay, the chisel would be held in a left hand while the hammer in a dominant right hand, letting the writer see the space into which they were writing. Another example would be Glagolitic script and Cyrillic script, both of which were influenced by the use of a special stylus that carved on top of soft wax tablets and birch bark pieces.

The position of the writer also plays an important role in the directionality of the script. As a common example, Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic, when carved on monuments, could be written in pretty much any direction that was convenient. Often times, the direction where animals and people faced would mark the direction of the line, when it was written horizontally. At the same time, it could be written vertically top-to-bottom with a varied horizontal directionality.

The previous examples can also show the influence that the material of a writing surface has on the direction of script. Even ink-based writing systems exhibit great differences when different materials are used. Writing with a quill on velum is different from a brush on paper or a reed on papyrus. The density, the texture and the form of the writing surface all make a difference. And when it comes to carving-based writing it is all the more different.

As we have now seen, there is a plethora of factors that could influence the direction of the script, yet there is no definite answer. In continuation, you'll see the examples of the various directions a script could have.

Left to Right,Top to Bottom

Right to Left, Horizontal

Left to Right, Horizontal

Mongolian, Uyghur (and a few others) writing systems are written in vertical lines (starting from top) in LTR direction.

Arabic, Hebrew (and some others) writing systems are written in horizontal lines in RTL direction.

Armenian, Cyrillic, Latin (and many others) writing systems are written in horizontal lines in LTR direction.

Right to Left, Top to Bottom

Right to Left, Bottom to Top

Left to Right, Bottom to Top

Nushu, Chinese, Korean, Japanese (and a few others) writing systems are written in vertical lines (starting from top) in RTL direction. It is worth adding that due to the Western influence and digitization, there has been a shift to horizontal LTR writing in these scripts, making various forms acceptable.

The Ancient Berber, developed from the Phoenician script, would be written from bottom to top, usually in RTL direction, and sometimes in LTR direction. It is worth noting that when used on monuments, it would instead be carved horizontally instead of vertically.

Hanunó'o, Tagbanwa and Batak scripts are written in vertical (starting from the bottom) lines in LTR direction. Yet it is worth noting that they're read horizontally from left to right. These scripts' directionality owes to the bamboo strips used as a material and the sitting position used, while carving with a knife.

Reverse Boustrophedon

Boustrophedon

Rongorongo glyphs were written in a boustrophedon fashion, but the lines would run from left to right first and then from right to left. If regular boustrophedon can be described as mirroring of the line, the Rongorongo script invovles 180 degree rotation of the lines.

Boustrophedon is a writing method that implies writing in horizontal lines that would run alternatively from right to left and then left to right. It was a common way of inscription and writing on stone in Ancient Greece.

Bibliography

Coulmas, F. (1996). Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems. Wiley-Blackwell. Daniels, P. T., & Bright, W. (1996). The World’s Writing Systems. Oxford University Press on Demand. Threatte, L. (1980). The Grammar of Attic Inscriptions: Morphology.