The Eternal Signs of Shorthand

“The marvelous signs of pencil shorthand, traced upon paper, continue to expand everywhere; they never stopped and never will” (Martín Córdoba).


Pitman Shorthand: Writing with pencil at a speed of 160 words per minute (this video can also be viewed on YouTube)




This is just a small sample of how manual shorthand is written at a speed of 160 words per minute, using the signs of the Pitman System, method of Academias Pitman of Argentina (Taquigrafía Pitman Comercial y Parlamentaria).

This 2012 recording seeks to preserve the testimony of manual shorthand, an art that requires great coordination and determination. The video features former parliamentary stenographer Martín E. Córdoba, who at that time worked as a stenographer in the Senate of the Nation, using an adapted grip since he was born with malformations in all the fingers of his right hand. He can be seen partially resting on his congenitally amputated forearm —where he used a cosmetic prosthesis— which prevented him from having the full support that other stenographers usually rely on. In addition, he was born without his left foot —which he attempted to replace with a conventional Syme prosthesis—, a condition that affected his balance and forced him to develop specific postural adaptations.

He uses a legal-size notebook, not specifically designed for shorthand, in order to have a wide surface and delay as much as possible the moment of turning the page. Since he has no left hand, he must interrupt writing and turn the page with his right hand, which adds an extra difficulty to the practice. These adaptations in posture and technique show how he reinvented his way of writing to be able to work as a stenographer.

This brief video shows how Martín Córdoba was able to represent the Argentine Republic at the 2011 World Pencil Shorthand Championship (Graphic Shorthand) held in Paris. In that competition, while working as a stenographer in the Legislature of Tucumán, he achieved 5th place overall, including 1st place in Spanish, among 48 manual stenographers from different countries. He competed on equal terms despite having several motor disabilities. His participation in Paris was highlighted on the cover of issue 119 of Revista Capacitados (Tucumán, August 2011).

For these achievements, and also for being runner-up in the Ibero-American shorthand/stenotyping championship, Martín Córdoba received official recognition and congratulations from the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation through a resolution approved on August 22, 2012. On December 27, 2012, national deputy Dr. Miriam Gallardo, together with other deputies, representing the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation, awarded him a commemorative plaque at the Legislature of Tucumán. Images of this event, recorded by the Press Department of the Municipality of Lules, are available at this link.

It should also be mentioned that this video was made by Martín Córdoba —with voluntary collaboration— to illustrate his presentation entitled “New technologies. Integration of manual shorthand and voice recognition: an experience in the Senate of the Nation.” This presentation took place on November 17, 2012, in the Session Hall of the Provincial Legislature of Salta, within the framework of the 20th Argentine Parliamentary Shorthand Conference organized by the AATP. The content was later published in issue 134 of Revista Capacitados (Tucumán, January 2013, pp. 28–29). At the end of his presentation, he stated:

“It is very important that society learn to accept and understand the limitations of people with disabilities, because otherwise it will be paradoxical that from different social sectors there is an attempt to include while at the same time discrimination is taking place.”

Photographs of the presentation held in Salta are available at the following link.

“Voice recognition allowed me to integrate my pencil shorthand with technology, transforming my notes into text without the need to depend exclusively on the keyboard or on another person to transcribe them. This tool gave me the independence that my hand could not offer me: I was able to practice my profession autonomously and also represent Argentina in international shorthand competitions of accuracy and speed.” (Martín Córdoba, 2012)



This article is also available in Spanish.




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