Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2008. / Title from cover. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 353-375). Also available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 13, 2008). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 353-375).

The present study provides a description of the standardization process of Persian orthography since the introduction of the Arabic alphabet, with a focus on this process in modern times (1850-2000). Using theories related to orthography standardization as its background, this work seeks an explanation for the prolonged standardization process of Persian orthography, and presents the frameworks within which this standardization has been carried out. The most recent state of Persian orthography is presented through an investigation of the current attitudes towards the problems of Persian orthography and possible frameworks for a potential reform, as well as through an investigation of the current tendencies in the manner of presenting different orthographic parameters within Persian contemporary texts. How and by whom the orthography of today’s Persian texts is governed is another aspect to be examined here. The most important conclusion to be drawn from the present study is that there is a strong tendency towards approving reform proposals that can be integrated with the present orthography, and maintain the present appearance of Persian orthography as much as possible. One of the main reasons behind this tendency is the concern of an interruption in cultural continuity in the event of an alphabet reform or any other drastic change in the present appearance of the orthography. This concern takes into account the political, social, cultural, structural, and economic conditions in Iran, as well as the complexity of language planning projects.

Le salar est un dialecte turc dont la plupart des locuteurs habitent le comté de Xunhua (35°05’’nord - 102°03’’est), dans le sud-est de la province chinoise du Qinghai, où leur présence est attestée depuis la fin du XIVe siècle. Si ces dernières années ont vu une augmentation des études sur ce parler à bien des égards atypique, il n’en reste pas moins l’un des parents pauvres de la turcologie. Réalisée précisément dans le but de contribuer à mieux le faire connaître, en s’appuyant pour ce faire à la fois sur la documentation disponible et sur des données recueillies par l’auteur dans le cadre d’un travail sur le terrain, la présente thèse en propose non seulement une description phonologique, grammaticale et lexicale, mais aussi, semble-t-il pour la première fois, une étude détaillée de son système d’écriture traditionnel, aujourd’hui moribond, qui constitue une adaptation de l’alphabet arabe. Une attention particulière a également été portée à la question de la nature des liens du salar avec les autres dialectes, actuels ou anciens, composant le domaine turc (en particulier ceux du groupe oghouz, auquel il apparaît possible que cette variété appartienne), notamment à travers la comparaison avec le turc de Turquie que permet la traduction dans ce dernier dialecte des exemples illustrant les points de grammaire abordés. Considéré comme une langue en danger par l’UNESCO, qui le classe dans la catégorie « vulnérable », le salar traverse une période critique, et les problèmes que soulèvent son statut en Chine, la place qu’il occupe dans la société où il est pratiqué, et les représentations dont il fait l’objet n’ont pas non plus été négligés dans ce travail, dont une partie a été consacrée à la mise en évidence d’un début de situation diglossique dans le cadre de laquelle parmi les réponses que tentent d’apporter certains Salars à la question de l’avenir de leur idiome figure un projet de revitalisation linguistique particulier. / Salar is a Turkish dialect most speakers of which live in the county of Xunhua (35°05 north, 102°03 east) in the south-eastern part of the Chinese province of Qinghai where they have been present since the end of the fourteenth century. In spite of the fact that there has been lately an increase in the studies concerning this language, it is still a poor relative of turkology. Carried out with the aim of making it better known, with the support of the available documentation and data collected by the author in his investigation in the field, this thesis offers not only a phonological, grammatical and lexical description of Salar, but also, to the best of the author’s knowledge, for the first time, a detailed study of its nearly extinct traditional writing system that constitutes an adaptation of the Arabic alphabet. We have been particularly careful to take into account the links uniting Salar with other dialects, present and ancient, which form the Turkish domain (particularly with the Oghuz group to which this variety seems to belong) notably through the comparison with Turkey Turkish, based on the translations into the latter of the grammatical items dealt with. Classified as an endangered language by UNESCO, Salar is going through a critical period. The problems raised by its status in China, the position it occupies in the society where it is spoken and the representations to which it is subjected, have also been addressed in this work. A section has been devoted to the identification of a diglossic language situation in the context of which, among the concerns raised by some Salars about the future of their language, lies a project aiming at its revitalisation.

In this self-study inquiry, I studied my graphic design practice in a professional setting, focusing on my Arabic typographic skills and knowledge. My roles as researcher and design educator indivisibly intertwined throughout this research. I worked to understand the value of calligraphy in art and design education, highlighting its power as an art form while also emphasizing its pedagogical potentials. I utilized two theoretical approaches suited to investigating and understanding the Arabic letters as text and image, Ibn Arabi’s science of letters, or 'ilm al-hurûf, and semiotics. I applied my theoretical framework to three distinctive artworks to investigate their uses of the Arabic letters, contemplating their roles in modern and contemporary Arab art. Essential to my research was learning Arabic calligraphy through two approaches: 1) I attended a calligraphy workshop, and 2) I conducted three self-study experimentations. I analyzed my experience through visual representations, commentary, and narrative inquiry to assess Arabic calligraphy’s significance for graphic design education. As such, my experimentations confirmed Arabic calligraphy’s aesthetic and educational value. I employed my findings to create a contemporary Arabic typography curriculum suitable for university-level students. This curriculum is built on learning theories such as visual culture analysis, semiotics, constructivist theory, play principles, and critical thinking, aiming to situate Arabic calligraphy as a modern learning model significant for typography education. Finally, I constructed a basic course for Arabic typography to support students’ development of Arabic typography fluency.