Orality refers to languages without a prevalent written form. The study of oral traditions raises questions about how societies function without text, and orality is divided into primary and residual forms. Studying orality is not the same as illiteracy.
Orality is a term that applies to languages that do not have a prevalent form of written communication. The term refers to the way language is used in thinking and speaking in populations that do not have widespread access to a written form of their language. Oral traditions have been studied for many centuries because it was understood that spoken language came much earlier than written language. The study of orality arises from the study of oral traditions. However, this field of study is not limited to studying the language itself. Rather, he also sees cultures that rely on this form of communication through an anthropological lens.
The study of orality poses a number of questions about how societies function in the absence of printed language: How is the economy of a textless society different from one with text? How is politics different? Is the human development of individuals in purely oral societies different from that of humans in societies that have both spoken and written language? These studies are of particular interest today, when the world is moving towards globalization. Is globalization possible without the universal use of text? This is an important question for researchers in this field.
Orality has been divided into two forms: primary and residual. The primary type is seen in cultures where language and its use in both thought and speech exist entirely outside the knowledge of writing. People of such cultures have never been presented with an example of written language and have never heard of such a thing.
Residual orality refers to a language that has been exposed to writing, but has not fully incorporated it into everyday use. This form of is termed “residual” because orality still exists within the language despite the presence or knowledge of the text. In this case, orality is thought of as a dwindling remnant as a printed version of the language becomes more and more prevalent within society. Thus, orality can be thought of as a phenomenon that can exist on a sliding scale.
It is important to note that studying both varieties is not the same as illiteracy. Illiteracy is a term that refers to the inability to understand printed language while living in a society where reading and writing are prevalent.
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