Dutton's Speedwords facts for kids
Dutton Speedwords is a made-up language created by Reginald John Garfield Dutton. The main idea behind Dutton Speedwords is to make common words very short. This language can be used as a second language for talking with people from different countries. Dutton Speedwords is also a shorthand writing system, which means you can use it to write very quickly.
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What is Dutton Speedwords?
Dutton Speedwords is a special language designed to be easy to learn and use. It helps people communicate faster, especially when writing. It's different from many other languages because it was created on purpose, not developed naturally over time.
How it Helps You Write Faster
One of the main goals of Speedwords is to help you write quickly. Imagine needing to take notes in a fast meeting or send a quick message. Speedwords lets you do this by using very short words.
Speedwords as Shorthand
Shorthand is a way of writing that uses special symbols or very short forms of words. This lets you write as fast as people speak. Dutton Speedwords works as a shorthand system, but it uses normal letters you already know. This makes it easier to learn than some other shorthand methods that use completely new symbols.
The History of Speedwords
Reginald John Garfield Dutton (1886-1970) created this language. He first came up with the idea in 1922.
Dutton first shared his method with the public in 1935. At that time, he called it International Symbolic Script. Just one year later, it was renamed Speedwords. Dutton made some changes to the language in 1946 and again in 1951 to make it even better.
Why Dutton Created Speedwords
Dutton had two main hopes for Speedwords. He wanted it to be a useful language for people all over the world to talk to each other. He also wanted it to be a fast way to write.
Two Uses, More Learners
Dutton believed that if Speedwords had two important uses, more people would want to learn it. They could use it for talking with others and for writing quickly. This made it a very practical language.
Speedwords Today
The original books Dutton wrote about Speedwords are not printed anymore. However, more people are starting to use Speedwords again, especially for working online. For example, it can make typing an email much faster because the words are so short.
How Speedwords Works
Speedwords uses regular letters, just like English. This is a big difference from other shorthand systems, like Pitman's shorthand, which uses special symbols.
Easy to Learn and Type
Because Speedwords uses normal letters, it's easier to learn than systems with new symbols. You can also type it using any regular keyboard. This makes it very convenient for computers and phones.
Simple Word Meanings
In Speedwords, each word has only one meaning. This makes the language very clear and easy to understand. You don't have to worry about different forms of the same word, which often happens in other languages.
Words You Already Know
Many words in Speedwords are like very short versions of words you might already know from your own language. This helps you recognize and learn them quickly.
