WRITING 



036-1 



WURTTEMBERG 



Related Sobjecf-. The following writs are 

 treated specifically In these volumes : 

 Attachment Mandamus 



Habeas Corpus Replevin 



Injunction Subpoena 



WRITING, rite 'ing. It is on record that 

 soon after the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth an 

 Indian chief sent' Governor Bradford a snake 

 skin filled with arrows to inform him that the 

 Indians challenged the Pilgrims to war. Brad- 

 ford filled the snake skin with powder and bul- 

 I sent it back with instructions to throw 

 it into the fire. The explosion so terrified the 

 Indians that war was avoided. The snake skin 

 ami its contents were used as symbols, of 

 thought, and in each case they conveyed a 

 menage. Later it was discovered that the In- 

 dians sometimes sent messages by using pieces 

 of bark on which rude pictures were carved, 

 each picture being the symbol of an idea, as 

 an arrow for an enemy, a triangle for a tent, 

 and so on. 



As far back as it is possible to discover evi- 

 dences of the existence of men on the earth we 

 also find evidence that they used some means 

 for recording their deeds and thoughts. Writ- 

 ing in some form is nearly as old as the human 

 race. Picture writing is the earliest form dis- 

 covered, and was used by all primitive people. 

 Gradually the pictures came to be used for 

 symbols; then two or more were combined, 

 and in this way the meaning of the symbol was 

 extended. This sort of picture writing reached 

 its highest state of perfection among the Egyp- 

 tians, who engraved their monuments with de- 

 signs to which the term hieroglyphic was given. 



From the combination of pictures into sym- 

 bols, writing passed to the stage in which it is 

 now used, that in which the symbols represent 

 sounds, and a combination of these symbols 

 form words. All the symbols used to represent 

 the sounds of a language constitute the alpha- 

 bet of that language. Writing in which sym- 

 bols represent sounds is called phonetic. The 

 Phoenicians are given credit for inventing the 

 first phonetic alphabet. Between the phonetic 

 alphabet of the Phoenicians and the hiero- 

 glyphics of the Egyptians we find the wedge- 

 like writing of the Babylonians and other na- 

 tions of the East. Antiquarian scholars have 

 been able to translate these inscriptions and 

 to glean from them many interesting facts re- 

 lating to the ancient peoples by whom they 

 were made. W.F.R. 



The development of the letters of our alphabet 

 la given in the articles describing the respective 



letters (see A, B, etc.). Directions for learning 

 the art of writing are given under PENMANSHIP. 

 Reference is also directed to the following related 

 subjects : 



Alphabet Hieroglyphics 



Cuneiform Inscriptions Phonetics 



WRITS OF ASSISTANCE, rits, a sis' tans. 

 In order to enforce the collection of import du- 

 ties in the American colonies and to seize goods 

 upon which no duty had been paid, the cus- 

 toms officials were provided with general search 

 warrants called writs of assistance. These dif- 

 fered from the ordinary search warrant, which 

 authorizes the seizure of only specified goods 

 in a specified time and at a specified place, 

 in not limiting the time or naming the prem- 

 ises in which the officers were authorized to 

 search for suspected goods. 



In 1761 James Otis resigned his position as 

 advocate-general of Massachusetts to oppose in 

 court the issuance of new writs of assistance. 

 From a technical standpoint their issuance was 

 legal; therefore Otis boldly denounced Parlia- 

 ment, stating that the use of the writs was 

 legalized tyranny. The writs were granted by 

 the court, and in 1767 were declared legal by 

 an act of Parliament, but because of the strong 

 sentiment against them and the radical feeling 

 of the colonists to which Otis gave voice, they 

 were rarely used. See REVOLUTIONARY WAR IN 

 AMERICA. 



WRYNECK, ri'nck, a small bird of the Old 

 World, related to the woodpeckers, but differ- 

 ing from the latter in having soft tail feathers 

 and being unable to climb. It seeks its food 

 on the ground, 

 securing ants and 

 other insects by 

 quick darts of its 

 wormlike tongue. 

 It nests in natu- 

 ral cavities in 

 trees, for it does 

 not chisel out a 

 nest in the wood. 

 The eggs are 

 glossy white in 

 color and seven 

 to twelve in num- THE WRYNECK 



ber. The wryneck is named from its habit of 

 thrusting its head and neck out of its nest 

 when disturbed, with an undulating movement. 

 As it makes a hissing sound at the same time, 

 it is also appropriately called the snakebird. 



WURTTEMBERG, viir'temberK, one of the 

 four kingdoms of Germany, prior to 1919, is 



