Alphabet

Paper Summary:

This paper considers the early history of the alphabet and how it developed from pictorial representations into something that actually represented language in the form of phonemes or sounds, from early symbols through the true alphabet of the Phoenicians and the alphabets of the Greek and Roman worlds to the alphabet used today, with variations in different parts of the world.

From the Paper:

"The alphabet used in English and other Indo-European languages has been extensively studied to determine how the letters developed over time. Not all languages use an alphabet, and not all alphabets are exactly alike. There are similarities among many of these alphabets, showing a common history. A.C. Moorhouse notes the steps in the development of the alphabet over time. Writing began with picture-writing, offering a synoptic view of a scene or event, as seen or imagined by the artist. This gave way to pictograms, or the separation of the different items in the picture so that they were then portrayed using a number of distinct signs, each standing directly for the object shown. "

More papers on Alphabet:

• Research Paper # 69207 : "Development of the Roman Alphabet"
• Research Paper # 21142 : "Greek Alphabet"
• Persuasive Essay # 144466 : "The Need for Competitive Alphabetic Grading"

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