Well it could be a the difference between 'literacy' and symbol recognition. Like most kids know before they can even read well what a red octagonal sign with the word "STOP" on it means. They recognize the symbols more than the actual word. The Eorzean alphabet is pretty 'rune rich' and, (once again engaging in IRL comparison thought crimes) 'back in the day' even illiterate workers, sailors, and soldiers all generally knew what "tavern" was or "food". Generally because there are always recognizable symbols and words that everyone generally knows. If an illiterate person actually needed to have a letter written then there was always a ready supply of clerks to hire who would take dictation for you, a profession that means something entirely different, today as the expectation is literacy by age 10 give or take (assuming we're talking the Western World here of course).Â
I suppose you could call that the difference between 'actual literacy' and 'passable literacy'. Though there does seem to be this odd disparity with the expectation of the 'layperson' being largely illiterate yet a large prevalence on letters and books which might dictate that literacy is more widespread than we're led to believe. I think the quote is "A large portion of Eorzea is illiterate" so it also could be that the term 'large' just means anything over 30% which by our standards today is pretty significant when it comes to illiteracy.
I suppose you could call that the difference between 'actual literacy' and 'passable literacy'. Though there does seem to be this odd disparity with the expectation of the 'layperson' being largely illiterate yet a large prevalence on letters and books which might dictate that literacy is more widespread than we're led to believe. I think the quote is "A large portion of Eorzea is illiterate" so it also could be that the term 'large' just means anything over 30% which by our standards today is pretty significant when it comes to illiteracy.
