Writing Systems

How speech becomes script — alphabets, characters, and the invention of writing.

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Language & Communication Writing Systems

A Language That Gets By on Just Twelve Letters

50 sec read

Language & Communication Writing Systems

An Illiterate Man Invented an Entire Writing System

50 sec read

Language & Communication Writing Systems

Easter Island May Have Invented Writing From Scratch

50 sec read

Language & Communication Writing Systems

Boustrophedon: ancient Greeks wrote alternating lines in opposite directions

60 sec read

Language & Communication Writing Systems

Braille fits an entire alphabet under one fingertip

100 sec read

Language & Communication Writing Systems

Korea's alphabet was invented on purpose, by a king

80 sec read

Language & Communication Writing Systems

Not all scripts are alphabets — there are four basic kinds

45 sec read

Language & Communication Writing Systems

Chinese has ~40,000 characters; you need a tenth to read

40 sec read

Language & Communication Writing Systems

Most Western alphabets descend from 22 Phoenician letters

40 sec read

◆ On this day

On this day in Writing Systems

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27 Sep 1822

Language & Communication Writing Systems

Champollion announced he had decoded hieroglyphs

45 sec read