Written words differ from spoken words in being material structures. A spoken word is a process in the physical world, having an essential time-order; a written word is a series of pieces of matter, having an essential space-order.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Written words are spatial material structures; spoken words are temporal processes.
- In plain terms
- Writing arranges matter in space; speech unfolds over time.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize the different nature of written and spoken communication.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does medium affect meaning?
- Can written text ever capture the immediacy of speech?
Another view
The distinction oversimplifies how both modalities interact.
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