The History of Alphabet

The history of the alphabet started in ancient Egypt. The first pure alphabets developed by Semitic workers in Egypt around 2000 BC. Most of other alphabets were influenced by these, including the Phoenician alphabet and the Greek alphabet.

The Phoenician Alphabet
It emerged in the mid 11th century B.C, and it was based on the principle that one sign represents one spoken sound.Phoenician alphabet gave rise to the Aramaic, Greek and Berber alphabets.

 PHOENICIAN ALPHABET

THE ARAMAIC ALPHABET

 THE ANCIENT GREEK ALPHABET

The Greeks
Ancient Greek is considered to be the period when the foundational culture of Western civilization emerged. From 1100 B.C. to the 8th century B.C. is called the "Dark Age" because there was no text survived from that period. From about  800 B.C. Greeks created the Greek alphabet by modifying the Phoenician alphabet.
The most notable change in the Greek alphabet, as an adaptation of the Phoenician alphabet, is the introduction written vowels.

The Romans
Around 9th century B.C. the Roman civilization grew on the Italian Peninsula, and eventually this civilization became a big empire.
The Roman civilization was greatly influenced by the Greek civilization. But later they contributed greatly to the development of the Western world.
It is believed that the Romans used the Greek alphabet as the basis for the uppercase alphabet.
Romans made great contributions to type design:

• Serifs: They originated from the carvings of word into stone. Little hooks were started to be added in order to prevent the tips of letter chisels from slipping, and this emerged serifs.

EXAMPLES OF ANCIENT ROMAN WRITINGS:

• Baseline: It is the line upon which most letters sit and under which descenders extend. Baseline is one of the essentialsof typography, that organizes the places of words.

By 100 A.D. the book industry of Romans became very acomplished. They invented a type of handwritten book called the Codex(Latin for block of wood) It was easier to read, and to transport. Moreover it was very durable.