"allograph"的定义和意义

What is an "allograph"?

An allograph is a different written form of the same letter or character that represents the same sound or phoneme in a language. Allographs can vary in shape or style but serve the same function in writing. For example, the lowercase letter "a" can be written in various ways, such as in cursive or print form, but all these forms are allographs of the same letter. Another example is the uppercase "A" and the lowercase "a," which are considered allographs of the letter "A." Understanding allographs is significant in linguistics and typography, as it highlights the flexibility and diversity of written language.