Gregg shorthand
In an era before keyboards and voice recorders, the ability to rapidly transcribe spoken words was a highly valued skill, powering businesses and courtrooms alike. Among the many systems developed, Gregg shorthand emerged as a revolutionary method, distinguishing itself with graceful, cursive strokes rather than rigid angles. This elegant system promised unprecedented speed and legibility, leaving a remarkable legacy in the history of written communication. Gregg shorthand broke from traditional angular systems by using smooth, cursive strokes and focusing on phonetics, making it faster and more natural to write. Over its century-long history, Gregg shorthand evolved through multiple versions, each subtly balancing writing speed with ease of learning for diverse users. Despite its impressive speed capabilities, the rise of modern dictation technology and personal computing ultimately led to a decline in its widespread use.
AI Summary
In an era before keyboards and voice recorders, the ability to rapidly transcribe spoken words was a highly valued skill, powering businesses and courtrooms alike. Among the many systems developed, Gregg shorthand emerged as a revolutionary method, distinguishing itself with graceful, cursive strokes rather than rigid angles. This elegant system promised unprecedented speed and legibility, leaving a remarkable legacy in the history of written communication.
- Gregg shorthand broke from traditional angular systems by using smooth, cursive strokes and focusing on phonetics, making it faster and more natural to write.
- Over its century-long history, Gregg shorthand evolved through multiple versions, each subtly balancing writing speed with ease of learning for diverse users.
- Despite its impressive speed capabilities, the rise of modern dictation technology and personal computing ultimately led to a decline in its widespread use.
The Dawn of Rapid Writing
Gregg shorthand, conceived by John Robert Gregg in 1888, was more than just another system for writing quickly. It introduced a fundamentally new approach, prioritizing the sounds of speech over traditional English spelling. Imagine writing words not as they're spelled, but as they're heard—that's the core of Gregg's ingenious design.
What truly set Gregg apart was its cursive, flowing style. Unlike earlier systems with their sharp, angular outlines, Gregg embraced elliptical figures and graceful curves. This design wasn't just aesthetic; it allowed for smoother, faster strokes, enabling proficient users to reach astonishing speeds of over 280 words per minute.
A World Without Keyboards
For decades, shorthand was indispensable in professional settings, from executive offices to bustling newsrooms and court proceedings. It was the quickest way to capture the spoken word in real-time. However, the 20th century brought a wave of technological innovation that slowly began to eclipse the need for manual shorthand.
The advent of dictation machines, shorthand machines, and later, handheld tape recorders and digital voice recorders, offered alternative ways to capture speech. As personal computers became ubiquitous, executives could draft their own letters, further reducing the demand for shorthand specialists. This shift marked a gradual, but significant, decline in its once-dominant usage.
Gregg vs. The Rivals
In the English-speaking world, two shorthand systems reigned supreme: Gregg and Pitman. While both achieved remarkable speeds, their underlying philosophies were quite different. Pitman shorthand, developed earlier, relied on varying line thickness and position relative to the writing line to distinguish between similar sounds and vowels.
Gregg, by contrast, maintained a uniform line thickness, making it arguably simpler to execute quickly. Instead of thickness, it used subtle variations in stroke length and the joining of symbols to differentiate sounds and vowels. This consistent pressure on the writing instrument was a key factor in its smooth, rapid flow.
Interestingly, John Robert Gregg himself initially taught an adaptation of Duployan shorthand, a French system characterized by uniform stroke thickness and attached vowels. However, he quickly recognized that Duployan's angular structure hindered writing speed. This critical insight spurred him to create a superior, more fluid system.
Gregg's new system refined the concept of smooth, cursive strokes, making it a natural fit for the nuances of the English language. For instance, it introduced a unique symbol for the common 'th' sound, a significant improvement over Duployan's slower, dotted 't' to represent the same sound.
The Mechanics of Speed
At its heart, Gregg shorthand is a phonemic writing system, meaning it records the actual sounds a speaker makes, completely ignoring traditional English spelling. This eliminates silent letters and simplifies complex words, allowing the writer to capture the essence of speech with minimal strokes. For example, the 'f' stroke serves for the sounds in 'funnel,' 'telephone,' and 'laugh' alike.
The system is written from left to right, just like standard English, and all letters are joined together, maintaining that crucial continuous flow. Specific sounds have designated stroke directions: 'sh,' 'ch,' and 'j' are written downward, while 't' and 'd' are written upward. Even sounds like 'x' and 'w' have clever shortcuts, often integrated into adjacent vowel symbols.
To further boost writing speed, Gregg shorthand utilizes 'brief forms'—standard abbreviations for the most common words. Why write out 'k-a-n' for 'can' when a simple 'k' suffices? These clever shortcuts allow experienced stenographers to bypass lengthy outlines for frequently used words, enhancing efficiency dramatically.
Another powerful technique is 'phrasing,' which involves connecting several distinct words into a single, continuous outline. The idea is to reduce the time-cost of lifting and repositioning the pen between words. So, a phrase like 'it may be that the' might become one fluid, unbroken shorthand symbol, surprisingly legible to a trained eye.
Vowels in Gregg shorthand are elegantly represented by simple geometric shapes or hooks, often grouped to cover multiple similar sounds. A large circle, for instance, can stand for the 'a' sound in 'trap,' 'palm,' or 'face,' while a small circle handles various 'e' sounds. This minimalistic approach reduces complexity without sacrificing clarity.
Diphthongs, those gliding vowel sounds, also have specialized, efficient markings. For example, the 'ow' in 'how' is represented by an 'a' circle followed by a 'u' hook. More complex diphthongs, like the 'io' in 'lion,' use a small circle placed inside a larger one, further streamlining the writing process.
Despite its seemingly simple alphabet and principles, mastering Gregg shorthand demands considerable practice and dedication. Yet, the reward is immense: the ability to write at speeds far exceeding typical longhand, with notes that remain perfectly legible to anyone familiar with the system. It's a testament to the power of a well-designed writing tool.
An interesting adaptation of the system's flexibility is its use by some left-handed writers, who found it more comfortable to write Gregg shorthand from right to left. This highlights the system's fundamental fluidity and independence from strict directional constraints, as long as the strokes maintain their relative forms.
The Evolution of Gregg
Throughout its long history, Gregg shorthand wasn't a static system; it underwent several revisions, each aimed at balancing speed, simplicity, and ease of learning. While all versions shared the same core alphabet and principles, they differed in their degree of abbreviation and, consequently, their potential writing speed.
The journey began with 'Light Line Phonography' in 1888, quickly evolving through several 'Pre-Anniversary' editions. Key versions include the 1929 'Anniversary' edition, the 1949 'Simplified' edition, the 1963 'Diamond Jubilee' series, the 1978 'Series 90,' and finally, the 1988 'Centennial' edition. Each revision reflected the changing needs of its users.
Pre-Anniversary (1888-1928)
The earliest forms, including the 1916 edition often referred to as 'Pre-Anniversary' Gregg, were the most highly abbreviated and thus, potentially the fastest. These versions packed the greatest number of brief forms, phrases, and shortcuts, catering to dedicated reporters aiming for maximum speed at all costs.
Anniversary Edition (1929)
Published a year later than intended for its 40th anniversary, the 1929 'Anniversary' edition aimed for a balance. It reduced the memory load on learners by decreasing the sheer number of brief forms and removing less common prefixes, making the system more accessible without drastically sacrificing speed.
Simplified (1949)
The 1949 'Simplified' edition marked a significant shift, drastically cutting the brief forms to a mere 181. This version was specifically designed for business stenographers, who needed reliable transcription at 100-120 words per minute, rather than the extreme speeds required for court reporting. It proved that a simpler system could still be highly effective.
Diamond Jubilee (1963)
Continuing the trend of simplification, the 'Diamond Jubilee' series, published throughout the 1960s and 70s, further reduced the brief forms to just 129. While simpler for beginners, an 'Expert' edition was also available for those wishing to push their speed for reporting purposes, illustrating the system's continued versatility.
Series 90 (1978)
As shorthand's overall popularity began to wane in the late 20th century, the 'Series 90' version prioritized clear transcription over raw reporting speed. It featured a minimal number of brief forms, making it the slowest standard version but emphasizing legibility. This reflected a changing landscape where clarity became paramount over peak velocity.
Centennial Edition (1988)
The most recent standard series, the 'Centennial' edition, was published in 1988 to mark the system's 100th anniversary. Uniquely, it was the only version since the 1916 'Pre-Anniversary' to slightly increase the system's complexity from its immediate predecessor, containing 132 brief forms, a nod to its rich and intricate past.
Specialized Versions
Beyond the professional editions, Gregg also developed simpler versions for specific audiences. These included the 'Junior Manual' for students, 'Greghand' as a phonetic writing system for everyday use, and 'Notehand' editions focused on efficient personal and classroom note-taking, showcasing the system's broad applicability.
Global Reach
The brilliance of Gregg shorthand's phonetic approach allowed it to transcend linguistic barriers. With just a few customizations, it has been successfully adapted to numerous languages, from Afrikaans and Spanish to Japanese, Hebrew, and Thai. This demonstrates the universal power of its underlying principles of sound-based, cursive transcription.
One notable adaptation is the Mandarin Chinese version, known as 'Beifang Suji' or 'Northern Shorthand.' While slightly modifying the original system, it still captured the essence of Gregg's efficient phonemic representation. This global embrace highlights Gregg shorthand's elegant solution to the challenge of writing at the speed of speech across diverse tongues.
Article
Gregg shorthand
Gregg shorthand is a system of shorthand developed by John Robert Gregg in 1888. Distinguished by its phonemic basis, the system prioritizes the sounds of speech over traditional English spelling, enabling rapid writing by employing elliptical figures and lines that bisect them. Gregg shorthand's design facilitates smooth, cursive strokes without the angular outlines characteristic of earlier systems like Duployan shorthand, thereby enhancing writing-speed and legibility.
Over the years, Gregg shorthand has undergone several revisions, each aimed at simplifying the system and increasing its speed and efficiency. These versions range from the Pre-Anniversary editions to the more recent Centennial version, with each adaptation maintaining the core principles while introducing modifications to suit varying needs and preferences. Its efficiency, once mastered, allows for speeds upwards of 280 words per minute. The system is adaptable to both right- and left-handed writers.
Background
Gregg shorthand
Gregg shorthand, invented by John Robert Gregg in 1888, is a form of shorthand that, like cursive longhand, primarily uses elliptical figures and lines that bisect them. The advent of dictation machines, shorthand machines, handheld tape recorders, digital voice recorders, voice recording applications on smartphones, and the trend of executives drafting their own letters on personal computers has led to a gradual decline in shorthand usage in business and reporting contexts.
Gregg shorthand is often compared with Pitman shorthand due to their significant dominance over other English shorthand systems. While Pitman shorthand differentiates between similar sounds through line thickness and position, Gregg shorthand maintains uniform line thickness and uses stroke length to distinguish between sounds.
Initially, John Robert Gregg taught an adaptation of Duployan shorthand for English, a system that was predominant in France and characterized by uniform stroke thickness and attached vowel representation. However, he found the angular outlines of Duployan-based systems to be detrimental to speed.
Gregg shorthand is distinguished by its cursive strokes that blend smoothly, avoiding sharp angles, and its symbols are specifically designed for English, offering a better fit than the Duployan system. For example, Gregg shorthand has a unique symbol for the "th" sound ( and ), in contrast to Duployan systems, which use a dotted "t," resulting in slower writing.
Writing
Gregg shorthand
Examples of the main form.
Gregg shorthand is a system of phonography, or a phonemic writing system, which means it records the sounds of the speaker, not the English spelling. For example, it uses the f stroke for the sound in funnel, telephone, and laugh, and omits all silent letters. The system is written from left to right and the letters are joined. Sh (= ) (and zh = ), Ch (= ), and J (or Dzh, = ) are written downward, while t and d are written upward. X is expressed by putting a slight backward slant on the s symbol, though a word beginning ex is just written as if spelt es (and, according to Pre-Anniversary, ox is written as if os). W when in the middle of a word, is notated with a short dash under the next vowel. Therefore, the digraph qu (= ) is usually written as k with a dash underneath the next vowel. In the Anniversary edition and before, if z need be distinguished from s, a small tick drawn at a right angle from the s may be written to make this distinction.
Sample of text from A Christmas Carol, published in Gregg shorthand, 1918
Many of the letters shown are also brief forms, or standard abbreviations for the most common words for increased speed in writing. For instance, instead of writing kan for "can", the Gregg stenographer just writes k. Some of these brief forms are shown in this image. Many are not shown, however. For instance, "please" is written in Simplified and before as simply pl, and "govern" as gv.
Phrasing is another mechanism for increasing the speed of shorthand writing. Based on the notion that lifting the pen between words would have a heavy speed cost, phrasing is the combination of several smaller distinct forms into one outline. For example, "it may be that the" can be written in one outline, "(tm)ab(th)a(th)". "I have not been able" would be written, "avnba" (note that to the eye of the reader this phrase written in shorthand looks like "I-have-not-been-able", and so phrasing is far more legible than a longhand explanation of the principle may lead one to believe).
The vowels in Gregg shorthand are divided into groups that very rarely require further notation. The a is a large circle, and can stand for the sounds in trap , palm , and face . The e is a small circle, and can stand for the sounds in dress , fleece , kit , and nurse . ī represents the sound in price . The o is a small hook that represents the sounds in goat , lot , thought , and north . The u is a small hook that represents the sounds in strut , foot , and goose . It also expresses a w at the beginning of a word. In Anniversary and before, short and long vowel sounds for e, a, o and u may be distinguished by a mark under the vowel, a dot for short and a small downward tick for long sounds.
There are special vowel markings for certain diphthongs. The ow in how is just an a circle followed by a u hook. The io in lion , or any diphthong involving a long i and a vowel, is written with a small circle inside a large circle. The ia in piano and repudiate is notated as a large circle with a dot in its center. In Anniversary and before, if ea need be distinguished from ia, it is notated with a small downward tick inside the circle instead of the dot. The u in united is notated with a small circle followed by an u hook above it.
Due to the simple alphabet, Gregg shorthand is very fast in writing; however, it takes a great deal of practice to master it. Speeds of 280 WPM (where a word is 1.4 syllables) have been reached with this system before, and those notes are still legible to others who know the system.
Some left-handed shorthand writers have found it more comfortable to write Gregg shorthand from right to left.
Versions
Gregg shorthand
Throughout its history, different forms of Gregg shorthand have been published. All the versions use the same alphabet and basic principles, but they differ in degrees of abbreviation and, as a result, speed. The 1916 version is generally the fastest and most abbreviated version. Series 90 Gregg has the smallest degree of abbreviation, but it is also generally the slowest standard version of Gregg. Though each version differs in its level of abbreviation, most versions have expert and reporting versions for writers who desire more shortcuts.
Many versions of this system were published. Several of these versions were given names: Anniversary (published in 1929), Gregg Shorthand Simplified (1949), Diamond Jubilee (1963), and Series 90 (1978). The last version was Centennial, published in 1988. Versions published before 1929 are often referred to as Pre-Anniversary. These versions are described below in this article. Besides the main editions, a number of simpler, personal-use editions were published from 1924 to 1968. These included "Greghand" in 1935, and "Notehand" in 1960 and 1968.
Pre-Anniversary Gregg shorthand
Gregg Shorthand was first published in England 1888 by John Robert Gregg under the title Light Line Phonography; however, it was in a very primal stage. Due to its rough-and-ready character and the fact that Pitman shorthand was well established there, it did not gain much success. Five years later, in 1893, a second edition of the manual with an improved version of the system was published in the USA, then in a third edition titled Gregg Shorthand in 1897. The fourth edition, published in 1902, developed more shortcuts. The fifth edition, published in 1916, is the version most commonly referred to as "Pre-Anniversary" Gregg shorthand; this version has the largest number of brief forms, phrases, and shortcuts.
Gregg Shorthand Anniversary Edition
In 1929 another version of Gregg shorthand was published. This system reduced the memory load on its learners by decreasing the number of brief forms and removing uncommon prefixes. It was intended to have been published in 1928 on the 40th anniversary of the system, but it was published a year afterward due to a delay in its production.
Gregg Shorthand Simplified
Gregg Shorthand Simplified was published in 1949. This system drastically reduced the number of brief forms that needed to be memorized to only 181. Even with this reduction in the number of brief forms, one could still reach speeds upward of 150 WPM. The system was simplified to directly address the need of business stenographers, who only needed to produce 100–120 WPM transcription. The creator of an advanced reporting version of Gregg Shorthand, Charles Lee Swem, wrote in The National Shorthand Reporter, "An abbreviated, simplified edition of our system has been published and accepted for the purpose of training office stenographers, and not necessarily reporters." He also advised, "I do not believe any young student should hesitate to study Simplified for fear it will jeopardize his chances of becoming a reporter. It is fundamentally the same system as we reporters learned from the Anniversary edition. Once Simplified is learned, the change-over to the reporting style is comparatively simple and can be made by any writer."
Gregg Shorthand Diamond Jubilee Edition
The Diamond Jubilee series was published through most of the 1960s and the 1970s (1963–1977). It was simpler than the Simplified version, and reduced the number of brief forms to 129. For Diamond Jubilee students who wanted to increase speed for reporting, an edition of "Expert" Diamond Jubilee was available to push speeds upward.
Gregg Shorthand Series 90
Series 90 (1978–1987) was an even simpler version, which used a minimal number of brief forms and placed a great emphasis on clear transcription, rather than reporting speed. Although it introduced a couple of new abbreviations and reintroduced some short forms that were missing in Diamond Jubilee, it eliminated several other short forms, and was in the main simpler, longer, and slower than the previous editions. Shorthand was dwindling in popularity during this series' usage.
Gregg Shorthand Centennial Edition
Published in 1988, this is the most recent series of Gregg shorthand. It was the only version since the Pre-Anniversary edition of 1916 to increase the complexity of the system from the previous one, having 132 brief forms.
Other versions
The above versions of Gregg shorthand were marketed for professional use, such as business and court reporting. Gregg Shorthand Junior Manual, designed for junior high school students, was published in 1927 and 1929. Greghand, A Simple Phonetic Writing for Everyday Use by Everyone was published as a pamphlet in 1935. The 1960 and 1968 editions of Gregg Notehand focused on how to take effective classroom and personal notes using a simple form of Gregg shorthand.
Adaptations
Gregg shorthand
Gregg shorthand has been adapted to several languages, including Afrikaans, Esperanto, French, German, Hebrew, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Catalan, Thai, and Tagalog. With a few customizations, it can be adapted to nearly any language. The Mandarin Chinese version slightly modified the original system, under the name Beifang Suji (北方 速記 Běifāng sùjì 'Northern Shorthand').