Alphabet
Alphabet
(from alpha and beta, the first two letters of the Greek alphabet), set of written
symbols, each representing a given sound or sounds, which can be variously
combined to form all the words of a language. (Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary)
An
alphabet attempts ideally to indicate each separate sound by a separate symbol,
although this end is seldom attained. The exception to this, according to
lingual scientists, might be in the Korean alphabet (the most perfect phonetic
system known) and, to a lesser degree, in the Japanese syllabaries.
Semitic Alphabet
The
general supposition is that the first known alphabet developed along the
eastern Mediterranean between 1700 and 1500 BC.
This alphabet, known as North Semitic, evolved from a combination of cuneiform
and hieroglyphic symbols; some symbols might have been taken from kindred
systems, such as the Cretan and Hittite. The North Semitic alphabet consisted
exclusively of consonants. The vowel sounds of a word had to be supplied by the
speaker or reader. The present-day Hebrew and Arabic alphabets still consist of
consonantal letters only, the former having 22 and the latter 28. (1) It
is from this ancient language that the oral history of the Jews was
handed down. It is from this oral history that the history of the
nation of Israel begins. This history has come down to us as the bible.
This one book has form the bases for many of the discoveries, and
controversies, about alphebets and etyomology among linguists and
archeologists.
Greek and Roman Alphabets
The
Greeks adapted the Phoenician variant of the Semitic alphabet, expanding its 22
consonant symbols to 24 (even more in some dialects), and setting apart some of
the original consonant symbols to serve exclusively as vowels . After about 500
BC, Greek was regularly written
from left to right. This in itself is an interesting development in thought and
construction of language. The Greek alphabet spread throughout the
Mediterranean world, giving rise to various modified forms, including the
Etruscan, Oscan, Umbrian, and Roman alphabets. Because of Roman conquests and
the spread of the Latin language , that language's Roman alphabet became the
basic alphabet of all the languages of western Europe.(1) It is
interesting to note that during the "dark ages" the written word
was almost unintelligiable and very few could read or write.
It was basically through the copyist who copied or tranlated the
bible that the written word continues in any continuity from
the Latin language.
(1) (Encarta 97)
Mario Pei
David Marshall Lang[1]
[1]
"Alphabet," Microsoft® Encarta® 97 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1996 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved.