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3200 BCE
Egyptian Hieroglyphic Script
Writing began with cuneiform and hieroglyphics. Egyptian hieroglyphics included alphabetic symbols for consonants. Egyptian hieroglyphics and early alphabetic signs share a similarity in letter shapes. -
2000 BCE
Minoan (Cretan) Hieroglyphics
The Minoan civilization, or the ancient culture of Crete, created pictographs that were connected by Cretan customs and religions. The style was influenced by Egyptian hieroglyphs. These hieroglyphs were undecipherable. -
1700 BCE
Minoan (Cretan) Linear A Script
Linear A script was used primarily in religious writings within the Minoan civilization. Like the hieroglyphs, it was undecipherable. It does not bear resemblance to other ancient languages and is read from left to right. -
1600 BCE
Canaanite Alphabet
Founded in Canaan, this alphabet is the ancestor to the Phoenician alphabet. Many believe that it is derived from Egyptian hieroglyphics. "Proto-Canaanite" is used to classify all early alphabets from the 13th and 12th century. -
1500 BCE
Proto-Semitic Alphabet
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1500 BCE
Proto-Arabic Alphabet
This is the ancestor of the different varieties of the Arabic language. Within the proto-Arabic alphabet held multiple features that are common in the modern variations of the Arabic alphabet. -
1450 BCE
Minoan (Cretan) Linear B Script
Linear B replaced Linear A when the Scribes adapted it to write Greek. This would become the earliest form of Greek, but was later proven to be poorly suited for the language. After the removal of Linear A, all writing in Greece and Crete were recorded in Linear B. -
1400 BCE
Ugaritic Alphabet
The Ugaritic alphabet is considered a cuneiform alphabet for its use of cuneiform characters. The Ugaritic alphabet consists of thirty letters. It borrowed the idea of alphabetic writing from the hieroglyphics in written form. -
1000 BCE
Phoenician Alphabet
It is read from right to left and uses the principle of acrophony. The letters are given the initial sound of the name of objects it represents. The letters are long and thin. The Phoenician alphabet was developed and spread through trade. -
800 BCE
Southern Arabic Alphabet
The Southern Arabic alphabet is known as a consonant alphabet. Depending on the lines, it can be written from right to left or from left to right. It is known as the Old Yemeni alphabet. -
800 BCE
Archaic Greek Alphabet
The Greek alphabet did not use all of the letters handed down by the Phoenicians. The unneeded letters were replaced with vowels. The letter aleph (alpha) was kept and new letters (phi, chi, psi, omega) were added at the end. Prior to officially being read from right to left, he direction changed every line. -
800 BCE
Ancient Hebrew Alphabet
The Ancient Hebrew Alphabet strongly influenced the 'square script' used in the modern Hebrew alphabet. The Ancient Hebrew Alphabet, also, influenced the modern Hebrew letter shapes. -
500 BCE
Aramaic Alphabet
Adapted from the Phoenician alphabet, the Aramaic alphabet was used to write and develop new alphabets. It is a consonant alphabet and written from right to left in horizontal lines. Modern Aramaic uses Neo-Aramaic dialects. -
100 BCE
Alphabet replaces Cuneiform
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1 CE
Nabatean/ Arabic Alphabet
The Nabataean alphabet is consonantal. It descended from the Aramaic alphabet and developed into the Arabic alphabet through Arab influences. -
1 CE
Jewish (Modern Hebrew) Alphabet
The 'Square Hebrew' script is another name for the Modern Hebrew Alphabet. It consists of twenty-two consonants that are Semitic. The letters k, m, n, p, and s have two forms: initial/medial or final. -
350
Ogham Alphabet
The Ogham alphabet was used in Ireland and Southwest England. It consists of twenty characters and has been arranged into four different families based on their first character. Another five letters were introduced to create forfeda which translate to additional letters. -
405
Armenian Alphabet
The Armenian alphabet was developed by Mesrop Mastots. It consisted of thirty-six letters and later added two more. It is written from left to right. -
500
Ethiopic Alphabet
The Ethiopic Alphabet consists of twenty-six letters. The Ethiopic Alphabet uses vocalizations through the usage of their vowels. The names of the letters were determined differently than the names of the Hebrew, Syriac, and Greek alphabets. -
500
Syriac Alphabet
The Syriac Alphabet was a descendant of the Aramaic Alphabet. The twenty-two letters of the alphabet are consonants and there are optional diacritic marks for the vowels. The letters of the alphabet can be used to represent the numbers. -
500
Samaritan Alphabet
The Samaritan Alphabet descended from the Early Hebrew script. The Samaritan Alphabet was to only be used for religious writings only. It is still in use in the remainder of the ancient sect. -
500
Latin Alphabet
The Latin alphabet was used by Romans to write the Latin language. The Latin alphabet was adapted in various languages, and the letters were transformed from cursive or running styles. -
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Thoth's Pill - an Animated History of Writing
