Glyph. What a strange word. It sounds like a hipster version of the word hieroglyphic. Perhaps the most recognizable glyph today is the New Orleans Fleur De Lis. You can't see one without thinking of the other. Modern sports fans recognize it immediately as the symbol for the New Orleans Saints NFL football team. The symbol, however, has ancient roots going back to Egypt and Babylonia.
It is hard to pin down a decent definition of the word, "glyph." Some people define it as a typographical mark that has a specific meaning. For instance, if you leave the dot off of the lower case letter "i, " most languages still read it as the letter it is meant to be. In Turkey, however, the letter "i" without the dot means something different from the same letter with the dot. So, in the English language, "i" without the dot is not a glyph; in Turkish, it is a glyph.
Take the Japanese language. It is made up of groups of written symbols, called syllabaries, that within themselves don't mean anything until they are put together with other syllabaries. Diacritics qualify for the status of glyph because they differentiate characters from each other.
The origin of the fleur de lis is uncertain. Some people think it is Roman for fidelity. Others say it symbolized the asp in early Egypt. Somehow, this translates to a prototype for the flower of life. Today, it means hot dogs, beer and the Astrodome, the world's first indoor football stadium.
The glyph we know and love today goes back to early 11th century France, or rather, the patch of land that was to later become known as France. The first king of what would later become France (Frank), was Clovis I. He is said to have been handed a fleur down from Heaven itself. Later, Philip I, the first King of actual France, integrated it as part of his own royal insignia.
The United Kingdom liked it so much they tweaked it and adapted it for its own royal family. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, uses it today. His version looks like three fluffy white feathers sticking out of a crown.
How did the FDL glyph come to rest in Louisiana. In 1682, when the French explorer, Sieur de La Salle, planted his flag in the Mississippi Valley in the name of French royal family, he planted a white banner, bearing a gold fleur de lis, at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
French settlers who founded New Orleans used the flag. The fleur thus became a very early symbol of New Orleans. For centuries, it has been celebrated in art, architecture, jewelry and football uniforms. There is no single, "correct" fleur de lis. The symbol has taken on many different forms over the years and there are now hundreds of different styles.
It is hard to pin down a decent definition of the word, "glyph." Some people define it as a typographical mark that has a specific meaning. For instance, if you leave the dot off of the lower case letter "i, " most languages still read it as the letter it is meant to be. In Turkey, however, the letter "i" without the dot means something different from the same letter with the dot. So, in the English language, "i" without the dot is not a glyph; in Turkish, it is a glyph.
Take the Japanese language. It is made up of groups of written symbols, called syllabaries, that within themselves don't mean anything until they are put together with other syllabaries. Diacritics qualify for the status of glyph because they differentiate characters from each other.
The origin of the fleur de lis is uncertain. Some people think it is Roman for fidelity. Others say it symbolized the asp in early Egypt. Somehow, this translates to a prototype for the flower of life. Today, it means hot dogs, beer and the Astrodome, the world's first indoor football stadium.
The glyph we know and love today goes back to early 11th century France, or rather, the patch of land that was to later become known as France. The first king of what would later become France (Frank), was Clovis I. He is said to have been handed a fleur down from Heaven itself. Later, Philip I, the first King of actual France, integrated it as part of his own royal insignia.
The United Kingdom liked it so much they tweaked it and adapted it for its own royal family. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, uses it today. His version looks like three fluffy white feathers sticking out of a crown.
How did the FDL glyph come to rest in Louisiana. In 1682, when the French explorer, Sieur de La Salle, planted his flag in the Mississippi Valley in the name of French royal family, he planted a white banner, bearing a gold fleur de lis, at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
French settlers who founded New Orleans used the flag. The fleur thus became a very early symbol of New Orleans. For centuries, it has been celebrated in art, architecture, jewelry and football uniforms. There is no single, "correct" fleur de lis. The symbol has taken on many different forms over the years and there are now hundreds of different styles.
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