Writing systems and scripts

Classification[edit | edit source]

Writing systems and scripts are basically classified into three types:

Alphabetic scripts
Logographic scripts
Syllabic scripts

Alphabetic Scripts[edit | edit source]

An alphabetic system uses characters known as letters to signify spoken sounds. These letters can be placed in different orders to create words. The first alphabets are believed to have originated from Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Phoenician alphabet is the ultimate ancestor of many modern scripts including Hebrew, Arabic, Latin and Greek, but is not considered a 'true alphabet' because it lacked separate letters to represent vowels. The Greek alphabet is widely considered the first 'true alphabet', as it adapted the Phoenician alphabet to represent vowels. A well known example of an alphabetic script is that of the Latin or Roman alphabet. It was developed in Europe, influenced by the Greek alphabet but its use has spread throughout the world. .