Understanding Pictograms: Origins & Uses
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ScribdTranslationsUnderstanding Pictograms: Origins & Uses
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ScribdTranslationsDEFINITION
A pictogram is a sign
that schematically
represents a symbol,
an object or a figure,
and in turn
synthesizes a
message overcoming
the language barrier
with the aim of
informing and/or
signaling.
Pictograms are signs
that, through a figure
or a symbol, allow
the representation of
PICTOGRAMS something
developed.
to be
Some
ETYMOLOGICAL ORIGIN ancient alphabets
were created around
Pictogram is a term that can be classified as a
pictograms.
neologism and that has its etymological origin in
Greek and Latin, since it is made up of two words
from these languages:
"Picto", which derives from the Latin adjective
"pinctus" which can be translated as "painted"
“Grama,” which is a Greek word meaning
“written.”
ORIGIN
Since ancient times (40,000 BC. C,
approx.) Paleolithic humans
bequeathed us their first ideas and
impressions about writing through
pictorial manifestations. The man who
lived since prehistoric times had the From those drawings that, by similarity,
need to have and document records of represented some reality, human beings
information regarding the situations went on to create more complex symbols
that surrounded him, and used that transmitted thoughts (the so-called
pictograms drawn in caves where they ideograms). The advancement of
generally lived. It had religious, abstraction came with the development
hunting and information implications. of cuneiform writing, whose symbols not
From these drawings, which were only represented specific words, but
intended to represent the reality of the were also associated with a sound.
moment, groups of symbols with
greater complexity were formed or Pictograms are still used as the primary
invented. It was also common to find means of written communication in some
them in temples and pharaonic tombs, non-literate cultures in Africa, America
as they were used as a means of and Oceania. But they are not just
narrating battles and stories. exclusive to ancient writing systems; in
most contemporary literate cultures they
In numerous carved paintings we find can be found everywhere as pictorial
what we can interpret as his way of symbols, from travel signs to familiar
seeing and understanding the world. silhouettes on bathroom doors.
These first graphic records that
appear in history, still in a “non-
writing” stage, are called pictograms
and were the first step towards the
origin of
writing.[Link]
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In 1879 the first Paleolithic paintings
were discovered, thanks to the
excursion carried out by Marcelino
Sanz de Sautuola (1831-1888). Since
then, thanks to archaeological
discoveries made in ancient
AIM
The purpose of pictograms is to provide information or indicate something
specific. They can be organized into categories depending on the function they
are intended to perform, so we can mention, for example, historical,
mathematical, diagram and graphic pictograms. Some of the most common
signs we see daily are found on road safety signs and in places that are
intended for entertainment such as restaurants, hotels and shopping centers.
Nowadays, the pictogram aims to convey messages to the public in a simple
and fast way. They are clear messages, which are understandable from the
first moment they are observed. These symbols help us break down the
barriers that languages can represent, because they are symbols that are easy
to understand worldwide.
One of the main uses of the pictogram is in mathematics. Using tables with
signs is an excellent way to organize information and to understand the
information provided in a simpler way. Mathematical data is easier to
understand when using pictograms. A mathematical graphic-type pictogram
gives us information through drawings about what is being studied at the
moment; they can easily represent absolute and relative frequencies of
variables, categories or periods of time. There are a large number of graphs
that can be used, such as bar graphs made with symbols of proportional
length, drawings in which the symbols correspond to relative or absolute
frequency units, and areas in which the drawing or symbol varies according to
frequency.
The pictogram is widely used in the area
of statistics. By using symbols and signs
to represent data sets, statistics becomes
easier to understand and apply. Statistical
frequencies are identified by means of an
accumulation of symbols so that statistical
reports are easier to understand.
There are many cases of pictograms that
we use daily today and that quickly
provide us with information:
-In the bathrooms of restaurants or bars,
for example, two simple figures appear on
the doors that, by their lines, indicate
whether we are in the men's or women's
bathroom.
-In leisure establishments, we find a
round sign with a “crossed out” cigarette.
This pictogram indicates that smoking is
prohibited in that place.
In educational centres, such as nurseries,
it is very common to resort to the use of
pictograms. This is the way for students
who have not yet learned to read to know
what rules exist, what tasks they have to
complete, or what activities they have to
do.
The drawing of a fork and a knife, or a
fork and a spoon, is a pictogram that
refers to a restaurant. In a similar sense,
the drawing of a person in a bed or
stretcher is linked to a health center.
These are pictograms whose messages
can be understood by people from any
country, regardless of the language they
speak.
Who are the pictograms
addressed to?
Pictograms are often used as an
alternative means of communication.
Many of the people who use them
have some degree of difficulty
communicating correctly through
words or expressing ideas, which
makes these groups of symbols
important to interpret, understand
and transform what they are actually
thinking.
Pictograms help to remove language
barriers as they are universally
understandable. That is why they are
often used as signals, providing
useful information or warnings.
DEVELOPMENT OR PARTS OF THE PICTOGRAM.
Currently, for a pictogram to be used appropriately, it must meet certain
important characteristics. It must be a reference, which means that it must
make a true reference to what it wants to represent; it must contain graphic
items that represent the information; the pictograms have to be
understandable and must be understood by the majority of people who see it,
regardless of their education, language or if they have some type of disability.
In addition, pictograms must be legible to the public in order to maintain
adequate visual coherence; and, finally, they must be very simple to avoid
possible confusion or the information they are trying to provide being
irrelevant.
CONCLUSION.
LITERATURE
Pictograms play an important
Design [Goyo]. (2012). Pictograms.
role in communication, because
February 4, 2019, from PonceLeon
in addition to being the basis of
Website:
writing, they have the
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fundamental role of breaking
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down barriers that arise, such
option=com_content&view=article
as language, way of thinking
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and the difficulties that people
Susana Peix. (2016). Pictographic
who suffer from some type of
Language. February 4, 2019, from
disability or difficulty in
Librarians Website:
expressing themselves have,
[Link]
and thanks to these we can
napeix/lenguaje-pictografico-
know what they think.
discapacidad/
Pictograms are essential in Gaspar Campos. (2015). Brief
everyday life, as many of them History of the Pictogram. February
mark social rules that make 4, 2019, from wordpress Website:
daily coexistence easier, on the [Link]
streets, at work, at school, etc. .[Link]/2015/11/historia_p
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