Notational systems are distinct cognitive systems with different material prehistories [Commentary on “The puzzle of ideography” by Olivier Morin]

Notations are cognitive systems involving distinctive psychological functions, behaviors, and material forms. Seen through this lens, two main types—semasiography and visible language—are fundamentally differentiated by their material prehistories, emphasis on iconography, and the centrality of language’s combinatorial faculty. These fundamental differences suggest that key qualities (iconicity, expressiveness, concision) are difficult to conjoin in a single system.