Inventing the Alphabet

Inventing the Alphabet

Author: Johanna Drucker

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2022-07-26

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 0226815811

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"Though there are many books about the history of the alphabet, virtually none address how that history came to be. In Inventing the Alphabet, Johanna Drucker guides readers from antiquity to the present to show how humans have shaped and reshaped their own understanding of this transformative writing tool. From ancient beliefs in the alphabet as a divine gift to growing awareness of its empirical origins through the study of scripts and inscriptions, Drucker describes the frameworks-classical, textual, biblical, graphical, antiquarian, archaeological, paleographic, and political-within which the alphabet's history has been and continues to be constructed. Drucker's book begins in ancient Greece, with the earliest writings on the alphabet's origins. She then explores biblical sources on the topic and medieval preoccupations with the magical properties of individual letters. She later delves into the development of modern archaeological and paleographic tools, and she concludes with the role of alphabetic characters in the digital era. Throughout, she argues that, as a shared form of knowledge technology integrated into every aspect of our lives, the alphabet performs complex cultural, ideological, and technical functions, and her carefully curated selection of images demonstrates how closely the letters we use today still resemble their original appearance millennia ago"--


Book Synopsis Inventing the Alphabet by : Johanna Drucker

Download or read book Inventing the Alphabet written by Johanna Drucker and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2022-07-26 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Though there are many books about the history of the alphabet, virtually none address how that history came to be. In Inventing the Alphabet, Johanna Drucker guides readers from antiquity to the present to show how humans have shaped and reshaped their own understanding of this transformative writing tool. From ancient beliefs in the alphabet as a divine gift to growing awareness of its empirical origins through the study of scripts and inscriptions, Drucker describes the frameworks-classical, textual, biblical, graphical, antiquarian, archaeological, paleographic, and political-within which the alphabet's history has been and continues to be constructed. Drucker's book begins in ancient Greece, with the earliest writings on the alphabet's origins. She then explores biblical sources on the topic and medieval preoccupations with the magical properties of individual letters. She later delves into the development of modern archaeological and paleographic tools, and she concludes with the role of alphabetic characters in the digital era. Throughout, she argues that, as a shared form of knowledge technology integrated into every aspect of our lives, the alphabet performs complex cultural, ideological, and technical functions, and her carefully curated selection of images demonstrates how closely the letters we use today still resemble their original appearance millennia ago"--


Ox, House, Stick

Ox, House, Stick

Author: Don Robb

Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 51

ISBN-13: 1570916098

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See how the Roman alphabet began and how it has changed through the years.


Book Synopsis Ox, House, Stick by : Don Robb

Download or read book Ox, House, Stick written by Don Robb and published by Charlesbridge Publishing. This book was released on 2007 with total page 51 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: See how the Roman alphabet began and how it has changed through the years.


History of the Alphabet

History of the Alphabet

Author: Teresa Wald

Publisher:

Published: 2016-05-16

Total Pages: 36

ISBN-13: 9781944410056

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This fascinating book offers a complete visual of the Egyptian, Semite, Phoenician, Greek, Roman and Cursive alphabets. In the easy-to-follow format of this book, you will witness the emergence of the alphabet and visually see its evolution all the way to the letters used to write today, in both print and cursive throughout the ages!


Book Synopsis History of the Alphabet by : Teresa Wald

Download or read book History of the Alphabet written by Teresa Wald and published by . This book was released on 2016-05-16 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fascinating book offers a complete visual of the Egyptian, Semite, Phoenician, Greek, Roman and Cursive alphabets. In the easy-to-follow format of this book, you will witness the emergence of the alphabet and visually see its evolution all the way to the letters used to write today, in both print and cursive throughout the ages!


Alphabet

Alphabet

Author: Allan Haley

Publisher:

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13:

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"In Alphabet, noted author and typographer Allan Haley presents a lively overview of the history and graphic evolution of the Latin alphabet. Within the context of how ancient writing systems dramatically influenced the societies that conceived and adopted them, Haley examines the development of each character from a simple image representing a word or concept to an elegant graphic symbol signifying an individual sound. Haley then explores how the expressive wealth of contemporary type design reflects the complex history of each letterform. Fascinating accounts of the design development of the ampersand, the Arabic numerals, and punctuation are also included."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Book Synopsis Alphabet by : Allan Haley

Download or read book Alphabet written by Allan Haley and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In Alphabet, noted author and typographer Allan Haley presents a lively overview of the history and graphic evolution of the Latin alphabet. Within the context of how ancient writing systems dramatically influenced the societies that conceived and adopted them, Haley examines the development of each character from a simple image representing a word or concept to an elegant graphic symbol signifying an individual sound. Haley then explores how the expressive wealth of contemporary type design reflects the complex history of each letterform. Fascinating accounts of the design development of the ampersand, the Arabic numerals, and punctuation are also included."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved


A Place for Everything

A Place for Everything

Author: Judith Flanders

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2020-10-20

Total Pages: 364

ISBN-13: 1541675061

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From a New York Times-bestselling historian comes the story of how the alphabet ordered our world. A Place for Everything is the first-ever history of alphabetization, from the Library of Alexandria to Wikipedia. The story of alphabetical order has been shaped by some of history's most compelling characters, such as industrious and enthusiastic early adopter Samuel Pepys and dedicated alphabet champion Denis Diderot. But though even George Washington was a proponent, many others stuck to older forms of classification -- Yale listed its students by their family's social status until 1886. And yet, while the order of the alphabet now rules -- libraries, phone books, reference books, even the order of entry for the teams at the Olympic Games -- it has remained curiously invisible. With abundant inquisitiveness and wry humor, historian Judith Flanders traces the triumph of alphabetical order and offers a compendium of Western knowledge, from A to Z. A Times (UK) Best Book of 2020


Book Synopsis A Place for Everything by : Judith Flanders

Download or read book A Place for Everything written by Judith Flanders and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2020-10-20 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From a New York Times-bestselling historian comes the story of how the alphabet ordered our world. A Place for Everything is the first-ever history of alphabetization, from the Library of Alexandria to Wikipedia. The story of alphabetical order has been shaped by some of history's most compelling characters, such as industrious and enthusiastic early adopter Samuel Pepys and dedicated alphabet champion Denis Diderot. But though even George Washington was a proponent, many others stuck to older forms of classification -- Yale listed its students by their family's social status until 1886. And yet, while the order of the alphabet now rules -- libraries, phone books, reference books, even the order of entry for the teams at the Olympic Games -- it has remained curiously invisible. With abundant inquisitiveness and wry humor, historian Judith Flanders traces the triumph of alphabetical order and offers a compendium of Western knowledge, from A to Z. A Times (UK) Best Book of 2020


The Korean Alphabet

The Korean Alphabet

Author: Young-Key Kim-Renaud

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2021-05-25

Total Pages: 333

ISBN-13: 0824845277

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The Korean alphabet, commonly known as han'gul, has been called one of the greatest intellectual achievements of humankind. Experts agree that few writing systems can match its simplicity and efficiency, its elegance and intelligence. The only alphabet completely native to East Asia, han'gul distinguishes itself among writing systems of the world with its scientific qualities and unusual linguistic fit to the Korean language. Most strikingly, the theoretical underpinnings of the language, as well as the time and circumstances of its creation, are clearly known and recorded. Han'gul was invented in 1443 and promulgated in 1446 by King Sejong (1418-1450), sage ruler of the Yi dynasty (1392-1910). This volume, the first book-length work on han'gul in English by Korean-language specialists, is comprised of ten essays by the most active scholars of the Korean writing system. An instructive commentary by eminent linguist Samuel Martin follows, offering perceptive comments on the essays as well as a discussion on Martin's own research findings on the script.


Book Synopsis The Korean Alphabet by : Young-Key Kim-Renaud

Download or read book The Korean Alphabet written by Young-Key Kim-Renaud and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Korean alphabet, commonly known as han'gul, has been called one of the greatest intellectual achievements of humankind. Experts agree that few writing systems can match its simplicity and efficiency, its elegance and intelligence. The only alphabet completely native to East Asia, han'gul distinguishes itself among writing systems of the world with its scientific qualities and unusual linguistic fit to the Korean language. Most strikingly, the theoretical underpinnings of the language, as well as the time and circumstances of its creation, are clearly known and recorded. Han'gul was invented in 1443 and promulgated in 1446 by King Sejong (1418-1450), sage ruler of the Yi dynasty (1392-1910). This volume, the first book-length work on han'gul in English by Korean-language specialists, is comprised of ten essays by the most active scholars of the Korean writing system. An instructive commentary by eminent linguist Samuel Martin follows, offering perceptive comments on the essays as well as a discussion on Martin's own research findings on the script.


Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet

Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet

Author: Barry B. Powell

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1996-10-28

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 9780521589079

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A challenging and fascinating enquiry into the genesis of alphabetic writing.


Book Synopsis Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet by : Barry B. Powell

Download or read book Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet written by Barry B. Powell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1996-10-28 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A challenging and fascinating enquiry into the genesis of alphabetic writing.


Letter Perfect

Letter Perfect

Author: David Sacks

Publisher: Vintage Canada

Published: 2010-08-20

Total Pages: 415

ISBN-13: 0307371034

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Letters are tangible language. Joining together in endless combinations to actually show speech, letters convey our messages and tell our stories. While we encounter these tiny shapes hundreds of times a day, we take for granted the long, fascinating history behind one of the most fundamental of human inventions -- the alphabet. The heart of the book is the 26 fact-filled “biographies” of letters A through Z, each one identifying the letter’s particular significance for modern readers, tracing its development from ancient forms, and discussing its noteworthy role in literature and other media. We learn, for example, why the letter X has a sinister and sexual aura, how B came to signify second best, why the word “mother” in many languages starts with M, and what is the story of O. Packed with information and lavishly illustrated, Letter Perfect is not only accessible and entertaining, but essential to the appreciation of our own language.


Book Synopsis Letter Perfect by : David Sacks

Download or read book Letter Perfect written by David Sacks and published by Vintage Canada. This book was released on 2010-08-20 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Letters are tangible language. Joining together in endless combinations to actually show speech, letters convey our messages and tell our stories. While we encounter these tiny shapes hundreds of times a day, we take for granted the long, fascinating history behind one of the most fundamental of human inventions -- the alphabet. The heart of the book is the 26 fact-filled “biographies” of letters A through Z, each one identifying the letter’s particular significance for modern readers, tracing its development from ancient forms, and discussing its noteworthy role in literature and other media. We learn, for example, why the letter X has a sinister and sexual aura, how B came to signify second best, why the word “mother” in many languages starts with M, and what is the story of O. Packed with information and lavishly illustrated, Letter Perfect is not only accessible and entertaining, but essential to the appreciation of our own language.


An Alphabet of History

An Alphabet of History

Author: Wilbur Dick Nesbit

Publisher:

Published: 1906

Total Pages: 50

ISBN-13:

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Humorous alphabet book for historians with each letter standing for a historical figure. Each letter is accompanied by a biographical poem and caricature of the historical caricature.


Book Synopsis An Alphabet of History by : Wilbur Dick Nesbit

Download or read book An Alphabet of History written by Wilbur Dick Nesbit and published by . This book was released on 1906 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Humorous alphabet book for historians with each letter standing for a historical figure. Each letter is accompanied by a biographical poem and caricature of the historical caricature.


Significance of the Alphabet

Significance of the Alphabet

Author: Charles V. Kraitsir

Publisher:

Published: 1846

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Significance of the Alphabet by : Charles V. Kraitsir

Download or read book Significance of the Alphabet written by Charles V. Kraitsir and published by . This book was released on 1846 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: