chapter 2 · chapter 2 alphabets monday, january 25, 16. problems with early language systems: —...

Chapter 2Alphabets

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Problems with early language systems:

— Complicated

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Problems with early language systems:

— Complicated— Combinations of Pictographs, Rebus and Ideographs

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Problems with early language systems:

— Complicated— Combinations of Pictographs, Rebus and Ideographs— Enormous number of symbols

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Problems with early language systems:

— Complicated— Combinations of Pictographs, Rebus and Ideographs— Enormous number of symbols — Small percentage of population could understand or master the system

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A detail from a diagram displaying several evolutionary steps of Western alphabets.

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Alphabet: A set of visual symbols or characters

used to represent the elementary sounds of a spoken language. They can be connected and combined to signify sounds, syllables and words.

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The Phaistos Disk, undated. The 241 signs include a man in a plumed headdress, a hatchet, an eagle, a carpenter’s square, an animal skin and a vase.

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The North Semetic alphabet was used by Canaanites, Hebrews and Phonecians.

Because the earliest examples are from ancient Phonecia (now Lebanon and parts of Syria and Israel), these early scripts are

often called the Phonecian Alphabet.

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The seafaring Phonecians absorbed Cuneiform from

Mesopotamia and Hieroglyphics from Egypt

They needed to find an alternative to the complexity

of these writing systems.

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A writing system developed in Byblos, (the oldest Phonecian city-state), used symbols without

pictorial meaning. “Letters” were starting to be used in ways similar to what we are familiar with.

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The Phonecian system branched into

Greek and Roman

The Aramaic system branched into

Hebrew and Arabic

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The Aramaic System

Hebrew and Arabic are still written from right to left in

the ancient manner of their ancestors.

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Aramaic alphabet evolved into Hebrew and Arabic alphabets

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The graphic forms of the Hebrew alphabet are squared, bold letters whose horizontal strokes

are thicker than their vertical strokes.

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The two principle forms of written Arabic

are Kufic and Naskhi

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Kufic characters are bold, elongated and angular.

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(close-up)Arabic characters

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Q’uran manuscript, written in the cursive Naskhi style of Arabic calligraphy

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Indian SanskritMonday, January 25, 16

The Greek Alphabet

The Greeks applied geometric structure to the

uneven Phonecian characters, converting them into

beautifully balanced forms.

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The Greeks modified the Phonecian alphabet by changing

5 consonants to vowels creating the “connectors”

of consonant sounds.

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DO THIS!

GO THERE!

Follow me

now!

NOT THERE!

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Papyrus manuscript, fourth century, BCE This example of the Greek alphabet shows the

symmetrical form and even visual rhythm. Monday, January 25, 16

An example of the quality of carved Greek inscription, c. fifth century BCE

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Boustrephedon(meaning “to plow the field with an ox”)

The Phonecian (and early Greek) method of reading and writing every other line back and forth — right to left, then left to right.

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As early as the Second Century CE, the Greeks

developed a more rounded writing style called Uncials

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Greek wooden tablet with uncials, CE 326. The rounded uncials allowed an A to be made with two strokes instead of three, and an E to be made with three strokes instead of four.

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Greek juror’s ballots, fourth century, BCE. A juror voted “not guilty” with a ballot having a solid hub.

A hollow-hubbed ballot was used to cast a “guilty” vote.

Greek signature seals, fifth century BCEMonday, January 25, 16

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Latin (Roman) Alphabet

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Greco-Roman Innovations

The two most important contributions to graphic design history were the

complete, easy to use alphabet and the codex form of the book

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The Greek letters Y and Z were eventually added as the Romans began to appropriate

Greek words into their own culture.

3 additional letters ( J, U and W) were added during the Middle Ages to arrive

at our current number of 26.

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Carved inscription from the base of Trajan’s column, c. CE 114. Located in Trajan’s forum in Rome, this is an excellent example of Capitalis Monumentalis

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A detail from an inscription on a tomb along the Appian Way, Rome

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Capitalis Quadrata (square capitals)

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Capitalis Rustica (rustic capitals)

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Wall writing from Pompeii, first century CE

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Parchment

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The term Parchment derives from the city of Pergamum

and was known as “the stuff from Pergamum” because

that city significantly increased production of

parchment.

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PARCHMENT is made from thin, stretch and refined

leather, made from the skin of sheep, goats and calves.

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VELLUM, the finest parchment is made

from the smooth skins of newborn calves

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-SpLPFaRd0

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The CODEX was the first book format.

Sheets of parchment were gathered, folded and stitched like the

pages of a book

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Christians used the CODEX format as a way

of distinguishing themselves from the

pagans and their scrolls

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Hangul

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https://vimeo.com/1535016

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