While there's certainly room for scholars in a world that's mostly illiterate, the word of god dispelled any doubt about the average level of literacy.
Word of God: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threa...ost2375917
I imagine it's much like early-mid Renaissance literacy rates, which means literacy rates are as low as 5% or as high as 40% depending on where you are. I'm basing that on Eorzea being most like the early-mid Renaissance period, and in no way should be taken as official. (The 40% rate would be found among merchant groups who employ notaries for example.)
An example of Eorzean writing:
Despite all this, I do think it's very likely that many people can recognize some written words, even if they can't spell them out themselves. Arbitrary example behind my reasoning: let's imagine an illiterate Eorzean whose job is to lug around barrels all day that are labeled "wine" or "ale". Illiterate or not you'll eventually pick up on what these words look like.
Being illiterate isn't the same as being stupid after all.
Word of God: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threa...ost2375917
Quote:As I (think I may have) mentioned in a past post, literacy rates in Eorzea are quite low. The only people who can read/write are usually the educated writing for the educated. This causes them to use an overly complex jumble of jargon that sounds little like what is actually spoken in Eorzea. The spelling and lack of punctuation can be blamed on the fact that because there were so few people who could read or write, there was really no standardized set of rules. This left those who were literate to make up their own rules (which was pretty much what every educated man and woman did).
I imagine it's much like early-mid Renaissance literacy rates, which means literacy rates are as low as 5% or as high as 40% depending on where you are. I'm basing that on Eorzea being most like the early-mid Renaissance period, and in no way should be taken as official. (The 40% rate would be found among merchant groups who employ notaries for example.)
An example of Eorzean writing:
Quote:Let it be knowne that as is writ
withinnne Hunt edict fair pecuniary
requital shall be stowed upon
he who slayeth aforesaid mark.
Despite all this, I do think it's very likely that many people can recognize some written words, even if they can't spell them out themselves. Arbitrary example behind my reasoning: let's imagine an illiterate Eorzean whose job is to lug around barrels all day that are labeled "wine" or "ale". Illiterate or not you'll eventually pick up on what these words look like.
Being illiterate isn't the same as being stupid after all.
