Gregg Shorthand

Gregg Shorthand is a form of shorthand that was invented by John Robert Gregg in 1888. Like cursive longhand, it is completely based on elliptical figures and lines that bisect them. Several editions have been made of this system: Pre-Anniversary, which includes the first five editions, the first being first published in two small paper-covered pamphlets in 1888, the second being published in 1893, the third in book form in 1897, the fourth being published in 1903, and the fifth being published in 1916; Anniversary, a revised and simplified form published in 1929, called Anniversary because it was to be published on the fortieth anniversary of the system (1928), but there was some delay in publication; Simplified, a version created in 1949, in which many of the principles and memorized forms were removed or simplified due to findings of studies by the publishers and suggestions of many shorthand teachers; Diamond Jubilee, published in 1963, again simplified from the Simplified version; Series 90, published in 1978, which brought even more simplifications to the system, which has a lifespan that occurs during a decline in verbatim shorthand reporters; and Centennial, published in 1988, with several similarities to the Diamond Jubilee system earlier. Centennial is the current version.

Writing

Gregg Shorthand is a phonetic writing system, which means it records the sounds of the speaker, not the English spelling. It uses the f stroke for the f sound in funnel, telephone, and laugh. All silent letters are omitted. The image on the right shows the strokes of Gregg Shorthand Simplified. The sounds are represented in this image by the International Phonetic Alphabet. 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, though the word beginning ex is just written es (and, according to Pre-Anniversary, ox is written os). W, when in the middle of a word, is notated with a short dash under the next vowel. Therefore, the letter Q is usually a k with a dash underneath the next vowel. In Anniversary 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.

Related Topics:
Phonetic - Silent letters - International Phonetic Alphabet

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Many of the letters shown are also what are called "brief forms". For instance, instead of writing hwech (The dot for the h in wh is practiced in all systems before Diamond Jubilee) for "which", the Gregg stenographer just writes ch. These brief forms are shown on the image to the right. There are several others not shown, however. For instance, "please" is written in Simplified and back as simply pl, and "govern" as gv. These brief forms can make Gregg Shorthand much faster.

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Another mechanism for increasing the speed of shorthand is phrasing. Based on the calculation that lifting the pen between words has a speed cost equivalent to one stroke, phrasing is the combination of several smaller distinct forms into one outline, for example "it may be that the" could 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).

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The vowels in Gregg shorthand are divided into three main groups that very rarely require further notation. The a is a large circle, and can stand for the a in "apple", "father", and "ache". The e is a small circle, and can stand for the e in feed and help, the i in trim and marine, and the obscure vowel in her and learn. The ī represents the i in fine. The o is a small hook that represents the al in talk, the o in cone, jot, and order. The u is a tiny hook that expresses the three vowel sounds heard in the words who, up, and foot. It also expresses a w at the beginning of a word.

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There are special vowel markings for certain diphthongs. The ow in how is just an a circle followed by an u hook. The io in lion 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 back, 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.

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Due to the very simple alphabet, Gregg shorthand is very fast in writing. It takes a great deal of practice, however, to master it. Speeds of 280 WPM have been reached with this simple system before, and those notes are still legible to anyone else who knows the system.

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