1 ORIGINS OF THE ALPHABET gchgchgchgchgchgchgchgcggchgchgchgchgchgchggchch disadvantages to this system: not the development of the alphabet, letters developed as a natural result of only were the symbols complex, for it was through the auspices the use of the fl exible reed pen for writing The origins of the alphabet but their numbers tally into of Greeks and later through their manuscripts. Lowercase letters for the begin within the shadowy realms of the tens of thousands, making cultural admirers, the Romans, most part require fewer strokes for their prehistory. At some time within that learning diffi cult and writing slow. that the alphabet was to fi nally formation, allowing the scribes to fi t more shadowed prehistory, humankind An early culture that take on a distinct resemblance letters in a line of type. The combination began to communicate visually. inspired to innovate a simpler, to the modern Western alphabet. of speed and space conservation was Motivated by the need to communicate more effi cient writing system was important to monks writing lengthy facts about the environment around the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians manuscripts on expensive parchment, them, humans made simple drawings v were a wide-fl ung trading people When the Romans adopted and the use of lowercase letters was widely of everyday objects such as people, of great vitality, with complex the Greek alphabet, along with adopted in animals, weapons and so forth. These business transactions that other aspects of Greek culture, a relatively object drawings are called pictographs. required accurate record keeping. they continued the development short time It was through their need for and usage of the alphabet. Just period. By “When the Romans adopted keeping ledgers and business as the Greeks had modifi ed the the time the Greek alphabet, along with accounts that they evolved a Phoenician alphabet, the Romans J o h a n n e s system around 1500 B.C. that adopted and modifi ed the Greek G u t e n b e r g other aspects of Greek culture, used signs to stand for sounds alphabet. Thirteen letters were d e v e l o p e d they continued the development of syllables. As this system had accepted in an unchanged form the printing markedly fewer symbols to learn from the Greek: A, B, E, H, I, K, press in 1450, and usage of the alphabet.” than the old ideograph system, M, N, O, T, X, Y, Z. Eight letters the basic it streamlined learning time and were revised: C, D, G, L, P, R, S, formation of As humankind began to see the made rapid writing possible. They V. Two letters were added: F and the alphabet need for communication of more abstract was set into had found a perfect business tool. Q. With an alphabet of twenty- These are some pictographs found in thoughts through visual marks, the three letters, the Romans had Wisconsin along the Lake Superior area. its familiar meaning of pictographs began to take on all the letters needed to write modern form. broader meanings. The mark for ox, for v Latin. The Romans also dropped example, could also mean wealth, food, Around 800 B.C., the the Greek designations for the or strength. Interpretation of a single Greeks adopted the Phoenician letters, such as alpha, beta, v pictograph was ambiguous, and lacking alphabet. The Greeks added A, and gamma, for the simpler The visual style, however, context. Combining several pictographs E, I, O, and U to the Phoenician A, B, C’s that we know today. of the modern day alphabet is as together provided context, and more base of 22 letters. Adoption of varied as the thousands of typefaces the alphabet by the Greeks was to complex abstract meanings could be “Our present day twenty- and type families available today. conveyed: for example, pictographs of have a tremendous impact upon Access to computer technology allows a woman and a child together could six letter alphabet is typographers and designers more options combine to represent happiness. the result of thousands than ever, while still basing communication on those essential twenty-six letters. v of years of evolution.” Our present day twenty-six letter Once symbols no longer alphabet is the result of thousands of represented objects, but ideas, they The development of years of evolution. The basic shape of the became a new evolutionary step in our the alphabet was to continue alphabet may be modifi ed, simplifi ed, alphabet, the ideograph. Many early under the writing implements of or embellished, but the basic shapes cultures communicated and kept records medieval scribes. It was during the cannot be changed without signifi cantly medieval era that the letters U, W, by combining symbols for the concrete weakening communication and legibility. and J were added to the alphabet. (pictographs) and for the abstract The Phoenician Alphabet used in the ancient times. (ideographs). However, there were Also during this time, lowercase By: Meahgan Pear 2 3.