Pitman shorthand is a phonetic-based writing system using curves, lines, and strokes to represent sounds rather than letters. It was invented by Sir Isaac Pitman in the mid-1800s and was popular in the US and UK. The thickness and length of lines represent sounds and intonation, and vowel symbols are often omitted. Originally written with a quill pen, it is now commonly transcribed with pencils. As technology has advanced, shorthand transcription has become less popular, making Pitman shorthand a dying art.
Pitman shorthand is a shorthand writing system often used in transcription. It allows the user to condense words and sentences so that he can write the verbal dictation much faster than if he wrote it freehand. A popular form of shorthand, pitman style uses a series of curves, lines, and strokes to represent words. With this particular shorthand method, the letters themselves are not represented. Rather, the symbols used represent various sounds associated with words.
As you might imagine, pitman shorthand was named for the person who first invented it. An individual named Sir Isaac Pitman developed the symbols and techniques used for this type of shorthand in the mid-1800s. It is considered a phonetic-based method because it revolves around how words sound rather than how they are written.
When using this shorthand system, the transcriber uses a specific set of curved and straight lines to represent the particular sounds in a word. Both curved and straight lines vary in length and thickness. The length of a line denotes sounds, while the thickness of a line determines the particular intonation of a word. Thick lines indicate hard sounds, while thin lines indicate soft tones.
Series of dots or dashes represent vowel sounds, but are mostly optional. In general, transcribers spell most words using only consonants without vowels. Consequently, for the sake of speed and brevity, vowel symbols are often omitted when a person uses pitman shorthand.
Due to the fact that the thickness of a particular symbol could change the sound ascribed to it, pitman shorthand was traditionally written using a quill pen, otherwise known as a dip pen, so that the transcriber could easily vary the density of the signs. Over time, however, pencils have become convenient and efficient substitutes for quill pens. As a result, most people who practice pitman shorthand use pencils for their transcription.
After it was developed, pitman shorthand became one of the most popular shorthand methods in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It was regarded as not only an excellent and direct method of shorthand, but with its simple yet elegant curves and lines, it was also recognized as an artistic style of writing. With the introduction of recording devices used for dictation, the art of shorthand, including the pitman style, slowly declined. As more dictation technology has developed, including computers and keyboards, shorthand transcription has become less and less popular. Pitman shorthand is still in use, but like most shorthand methods, it has become a dying art.
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