Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Letters as Pictures?
The statement that “letters began as pictures” sounds like a metaphor, but surprisingly it is not. This statement actually goes all the way back to the origins of the first known alphabet, which was created by the Phoenicians around 1000 B.C. The Phoenicians somewhat integrated hieroglyphics with now a day letters. The Phoenicians used letter shapes to describe a word. These letter shapes were not full pictures, but were shaped in a fashion as to signify its meaning appropriately. This system or alphabet made by the Phoenicians first consisted of 22 common noises. This system was then spread worldwide to many different trading partners of the Phoenicians; such as Greece. The Phoenician alphabet was then changed by the Greeks, and soon for Latin. After many centuries, the changed Phoenician alphabet was adapted for the English. This was a very long and intriguing process, and the Phoenician letters A and K are two great examples of how this change took place.