Inventing the Alphabet

Inventing the Alphabet

Author: Johanna Drucker

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2022-07-26

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 0226815811

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"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"--


The Early Alphabet

The Early Alphabet

Author: John F. Healey

Publisher:

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In this generously illustrated book, John Healey outlines the basic principles of the early alphabet and describes the first attempts at alphabetic writing in the Semitic languages.


Book Synopsis The Early Alphabet by : John F. Healey

Download or read book The Early Alphabet written by John F. Healey and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this generously illustrated book, John Healey outlines the basic principles of the early alphabet and describes the first attempts at alphabetic writing in the Semitic languages.


Significance of the Alphabet

Significance of the Alphabet

Author: Charles V. Kraitsir

Publisher:

Published: 1846

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


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:


The World's Oldest Alphabet

The World's Oldest Alphabet

Author: Douglas Petrovich

Publisher: Hendrickson Academic

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789652208842

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

For about 150 years, scholars have attempted to identify the language of the world's first alphabetic script, and to translate some of the inscriptions that use it. Until now, their attempts have accomplished little more than identifying most of the pictographic letters and translating a few of the Semitic words. With the publication of The World's Oldest Alphabet, a new day has dawned. All of the disputed letters have been resolved, while the language has been identified conclusively as Hebrew, allowing for the translation of 16 inscriptions that date from 1842 to 1446 BC. It is the author's reading that these inscriptions expressly name three biblical figures (Asenath, Ahisamach, and Moses) and greatly illuminate the earliest Israelite history in a way that no other book has achieved, apart from the Bible.


Book Synopsis The World's Oldest Alphabet by : Douglas Petrovich

Download or read book The World's Oldest Alphabet written by Douglas Petrovich and published by Hendrickson Academic. This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For about 150 years, scholars have attempted to identify the language of the world's first alphabetic script, and to translate some of the inscriptions that use it. Until now, their attempts have accomplished little more than identifying most of the pictographic letters and translating a few of the Semitic words. With the publication of The World's Oldest Alphabet, a new day has dawned. All of the disputed letters have been resolved, while the language has been identified conclusively as Hebrew, allowing for the translation of 16 inscriptions that date from 1842 to 1446 BC. It is the author's reading that these inscriptions expressly name three biblical figures (Asenath, Ahisamach, and Moses) and greatly illuminate the earliest Israelite history in a way that no other book has achieved, apart from the Bible.


The Early Alphabet

The Early Alphabet

Author: John F. Healey

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 1990-01-01

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13: 9780520073098

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

00 In this generously illustrated book, John Healey outlines the basic principles of the early alphabet and describes the first attempts at alphabetic writing in the Semitic languages. In this generously illustrated book, John Healey outlines the basic principles of the early alphabet and describes the first attempts at alphabetic writing in the Semitic languages.


Book Synopsis The Early Alphabet by : John F. Healey

Download or read book The Early Alphabet written by John F. Healey and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1990-01-01 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 00 In this generously illustrated book, John Healey outlines the basic principles of the early alphabet and describes the first attempts at alphabetic writing in the Semitic languages. In this generously illustrated book, John Healey outlines the basic principles of the early alphabet and describes the first attempts at alphabetic writing in the Semitic languages.


A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages

A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages

Author: Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2020-03-31

Total Pages: 560

ISBN-13: 111919329X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Covers the major languages, language families, and writing systems attested in the Ancient Near East Filled with enlightening chapters by noted experts in the field, this book introduces Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) languages and language families used during the time period of roughly 3200 BCE to the second century CE in the areas of Egypt, the Levant, eastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Iran. In addition to providing grammatical sketches of the respective languages, the book focuses on socio-linguistic questions such as language contact, diglossia, the development of literary standard languages, and the development of diplomatic languages or “linguae francae.” It also addresses the interaction of Ancient Near Eastern languages with each other and their roles within the political and cultural systems of ANE societies. Presented in five parts, The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages provides readers with in-depth chapter coverage of the writing systems of ANE, starting with their decipherment. It looks at the emergence of cuneiform writing; the development of Egyptian writing in the fourth and early third millennium BCI; and the emergence of alphabetic scripts. The book also covers many of the individual languages themselves, including Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Hittite, Pre- and Post-Exilic Hebrew, Phoenician, Ancient South Arabian, and more. Provides an overview of all major language families and writing systems used in the Ancient Near East during the time period from the beginning of writing (approximately 3200 BCE) to the second century CE (end of cuneiform writing) Addresses how the individual languages interacted with each other and how they functioned in the societies that used them Written by leading experts on the languages and topics The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages is an ideal book for undergraduate students and scholars interested in Ancient Near Eastern cultures and languages or certain aspects of these languages.


Book Synopsis A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages by : Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee

Download or read book A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages written by Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-03-31 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covers the major languages, language families, and writing systems attested in the Ancient Near East Filled with enlightening chapters by noted experts in the field, this book introduces Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) languages and language families used during the time period of roughly 3200 BCE to the second century CE in the areas of Egypt, the Levant, eastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Iran. In addition to providing grammatical sketches of the respective languages, the book focuses on socio-linguistic questions such as language contact, diglossia, the development of literary standard languages, and the development of diplomatic languages or “linguae francae.” It also addresses the interaction of Ancient Near Eastern languages with each other and their roles within the political and cultural systems of ANE societies. Presented in five parts, The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages provides readers with in-depth chapter coverage of the writing systems of ANE, starting with their decipherment. It looks at the emergence of cuneiform writing; the development of Egyptian writing in the fourth and early third millennium BCI; and the emergence of alphabetic scripts. The book also covers many of the individual languages themselves, including Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Hittite, Pre- and Post-Exilic Hebrew, Phoenician, Ancient South Arabian, and more. Provides an overview of all major language families and writing systems used in the Ancient Near East during the time period from the beginning of writing (approximately 3200 BCE) to the second century CE (end of cuneiform writing) Addresses how the individual languages interacted with each other and how they functioned in the societies that used them Written by leading experts on the languages and topics The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages is an ideal book for undergraduate students and scholars interested in Ancient Near Eastern cultures and languages or certain aspects of these languages.


Reading the Past

Reading the Past

Author: C. B. Walker

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 1990-01-01

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 9780520074316

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Contains six previously published titles brought together in a single volume.


Book Synopsis Reading the Past by : C. B. Walker

Download or read book Reading the Past written by C. B. Walker and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1990-01-01 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains six previously published titles brought together in a single volume.


Early History of the Alphabet

Early History of the Alphabet

Author: Joseph Naveh

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 9781590459539

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


Book Synopsis Early History of the Alphabet by : Joseph Naveh

Download or read book Early History of the Alphabet written by Joseph Naveh and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Early Greek Alphabetic Writing

Early Greek Alphabetic Writing

Author: Natalia Elvira Astoreca

Publisher: Oxbow Books

Published: 2021-10-31

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 1789257441

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Despite the flourishing of epichoric studies on the Archaic Greek scripts in the 1960s, embodied by archaeologists Lilian Hamilton Jeffery and Margherita Guarducci, most scholarship on early alphabetic writing in Greece has focused on questions around the origin of ‘the Greek alphabet’ instead of acknowledging the diversity of alphabetic systems that emerged in Geometric and Archaic times. The present book proposes to bring back the epichoric approach by focusing on the different ways in which the earliest epigraphic evidence represents the spoken Greek dialects. However, instead of continuing the palaeographic methodology of previous studies, this analysis follows the latest trends in grapholinguistics, more specifically the methodology of comparative graphematics. By examining the grapheme-phoneme relationships across Greek-speaking regions, it is possible to recognize that diversity and to draw connections with neighboring contemporaneous alphabets, such as those for Phrygian, Eteocretan and Etruscan. This work, carried out within the Contexts of and Relations between Early Writing Systems (CREWS) project, aims to contribute towards the conceptualization of the so-called epichoric scripts as independent alphabets, as well as their framing within the ecology of ancient Mediterranean writing systems. Contexts of and Relations between Early Writing Systems (CREWS) is a project funded by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No. 677758), and based in the Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge.


Book Synopsis Early Greek Alphabetic Writing by : Natalia Elvira Astoreca

Download or read book Early Greek Alphabetic Writing written by Natalia Elvira Astoreca and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2021-10-31 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the flourishing of epichoric studies on the Archaic Greek scripts in the 1960s, embodied by archaeologists Lilian Hamilton Jeffery and Margherita Guarducci, most scholarship on early alphabetic writing in Greece has focused on questions around the origin of ‘the Greek alphabet’ instead of acknowledging the diversity of alphabetic systems that emerged in Geometric and Archaic times. The present book proposes to bring back the epichoric approach by focusing on the different ways in which the earliest epigraphic evidence represents the spoken Greek dialects. However, instead of continuing the palaeographic methodology of previous studies, this analysis follows the latest trends in grapholinguistics, more specifically the methodology of comparative graphematics. By examining the grapheme-phoneme relationships across Greek-speaking regions, it is possible to recognize that diversity and to draw connections with neighboring contemporaneous alphabets, such as those for Phrygian, Eteocretan and Etruscan. This work, carried out within the Contexts of and Relations between Early Writing Systems (CREWS) project, aims to contribute towards the conceptualization of the so-called epichoric scripts as independent alphabets, as well as their framing within the ecology of ancient Mediterranean writing systems. Contexts of and Relations between Early Writing Systems (CREWS) is a project funded by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No. 677758), and based in the Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge.


Magical Alphabets

Magical Alphabets

Author: Nigel Pennick

Publisher: Weiser Books

Published: 1992-01-01

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 9780877287476

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Here the alphabetical systems of the West, including Hebrew, Greek, Runic, Celtic, Medieval, and the Renaissance alphabets of the alchemical tradition are examined in depth. Explains the numerological significance of the various alphabets, andprovides exciting evidence for the widespread influence of Runes.


Book Synopsis Magical Alphabets by : Nigel Pennick

Download or read book Magical Alphabets written by Nigel Pennick and published by Weiser Books. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here the alphabetical systems of the West, including Hebrew, Greek, Runic, Celtic, Medieval, and the Renaissance alphabets of the alchemical tradition are examined in depth. Explains the numerological significance of the various alphabets, andprovides exciting evidence for the widespread influence of Runes.