Have you ever seen shorthand being written? There’s something quite magical and mysterious about those squiggles, don’t you think?
Shorthand is a writing system designed to record spoken language quickly and efficiently. It replaces full words with abbreviations, symbols or simplified strokes, allowing the writer to keep pace with real-time speech. The need for shorthand emerged wherever fast, accurate written records were required – courts, parliaments, offices and newsrooms.
The earliest known system of shorthand was developed in Ancient Rome. Around 63 BCE, Marcus Tullius Tiro, a freed slave and secretary to the orator Cicero, created a system known as Tironian Notes. It used symbols to represent common words and sounds. Tiro’s system was widely used in Roman administrative work and later adapted by monks during the Middle Ages to copy sermons and religious texts more efficiently.
In the 17th century, shorthand systems began appearing across Europe. English diarist Samuel Pepys used Thomas Shelton’s Tachygraphy to record his famous diary, which chronicled events like the Great Fire of London and the plague. Writing in shorthand allowed Pepys a level of privacy and speed.
Modern shorthand systems developed in the 19th century. In 1837, Sir Isaac Pitman introduced Pitman Shorthand, which used phonetic principles to represent sounds rather than traditional spelling. This made it more logical and faster to learn for many users. Pitman Shorthand became widely used across Britain and the Commonwealth, particularly in clerical work.
In 1888, John Robert Gregg developed Gregg Shorthand, an alternative system in the United States. It featured a more cursive, flowing style and gained popularity in American business schools. Gregg's system became the dominant form of shorthand in the US and was taught in thousands of secretarial colleges.
Shorthand played a central role in journalism during the 20th century. Reporters used it to take rapid notes during press conferences, interviews and court proceedings. British journalists often used Teeline Shorthand, a system introduced in the 1960s that was faster to learn and well-suited to newsrooms. The ability to write over 100 words per minute was a standard requirement for many journalism roles.
Many public figures and writers also used shorthand. Charles Dickens trained as a parliamentary reporter and was fluent in Gurney’s shorthand system. His early career in stenography informed his writing discipline and his understanding of speech patterns and dialogue.
Shorthand has appeared throughout popular culture. In the television series Mad Men, shorthand is part of the professional toolkit of office secretaries. And in the film The King’s Speech, it was used to document royal speech therapy sessions. In courtrooms, stenographers continue to use machine shorthand on chorded keyboards to record proceedings word for word.
Shorthand began to decline in the late 20th century with the advent of dictation machines, audio recording and, later, speech-to-text software. The advent of AI transcription systems has accelerated this transition. Despite this, shorthand remains in use in some fields, such as court reporting and parliamentary transcription. Also, a small number of enthusiasts continue to study it for archival, research or personal interest.
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References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorthand
https://trint.com/creator-hub/what-is-shorthand-is-it-still-used
https://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/
https://hannahdennison.blogspot.com/2012/07/pitman-shorthand.html
Images
1. Pitman shorthand sample. Credit: long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk
2. Sir Isaac Pitman by unknown photographer, 1890s
3. Book: Pitman's Short Hand Reader
4. "The Little Match Girl" story in Pitman shorthand
5. John Robert Gregg, shorthand inventor
6. The Lord's Prayer in Gregg and a variety of other 19th-century systems
7. A reporter taking notes at the White House in shorthand, March 2009
8. Video: "130wpm Gregg Shorthand Dictation - Introduction to Gregg", ltlnphngrphfrth1e6, 2008
9. Florida artist Stacey Mandell creates abstract art using shorthand phrases.
