For example, the letter “b” in English represents a voiced bilabial stop, but no particular meaning can be attached to it in its function as a letter of the alphabet. Chinese writing is logographic, ...

Chinese characters are the system of symbols used to write Chinese. Unlike an alphabet, which represents only sounds, each Chinese character has a unique meaning .

Alphabetic language, or written language made of individual letters, is a newer invention, but now, archaeologists believe they have discovered the “oldest known alphabet” ever found.

The crux of the idea is that both Chinese writing and emoji are image-based forms of communication, as neither uses an alphabet. “What Chinese writing and emoji have in common is that they both ...