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Many ancient alphabets are believed to have been developed from even earlier writings, of ancient ''pictograms'' where a spoken sound or word was represented by small drawing of an object. These pictures eventually developed into formalized graphical symbols. By convention these symbols are written in a specific order ([[alphabetic]] order) when listed. The alphabet was a great impetus to literacy as there was no longer a need to learn myriads of pictures to represent the multitudinous concepts present in reality and thought. With an alphabet, all that was needed was to learn the symbols to represent the rather limited sounds of any particular language.

Many ancient alphabets are believed to have been developed from even earlier writings, of ancient ''pictograms'' where a spoken sound or word was represented by small drawing of an object. These pictures eventually developed into formalized graphical symbols. By convention these symbols are written in a specific order ([[alphabetic]] order) when listed. The alphabet was a great impetus to literacy as there was no longer a need to learn myriads of pictures to represent the multitudinous concepts present in reality and thought. With an alphabet, all that was needed was to learn the symbols to represent the rather limited sounds of any particular language.

== Latin Alphabets ==

== Latin Alphabets ==

The '''Latin alphabet''' (or '''Roman alphabet''') is the most widely-used [[alphabetic writing system]] in the world.<ref>http://www.orbilat.com/Languages/Latin/Grammar/Latin-Alphabet.html</ref> Most Western alphabets are based on the script of ancient [[Rome]] which comprises the following 23 characters or letters:

The '''Latin alphabet''' (or '''Roman alphabet''') is the most widely used [[alphabetic writing system]] in the world.<ref>http://www.orbilat.com/Languages/Latin/Grammar/Latin-Alphabet.html</ref> Most Western alphabets are based on the script of ancient [[Rome]] which comprises the following 23 characters or letters:

:[[A|Aa]], [[B|Bb]], [[C|Cc]], [[D|Dd]], [[E|Ee]], [[F|Ff]], [[G|Gg]], [[H|Hh]], [[I|Ii]], [[K|Kk]], [[L|Ll]], [[M|Mm]], [[N|Nn]], [[O|Oo]], [[P|Pp]], [[Q|Qq]], [[R|Rr]], [[S|Ss]], [[T|Tt]], [[V|Vv]], [[X|Xx]], [[Y|Yy]], [[Z|Zz]]

:[[A]]a, [[B]]b, [[C]]c, [[D]]d, [[E]]e, [[F]]f, [[G]]g, [[H]]h, [[I]]i, [[K]]k, [[L]]l, [[M]]m, [[N]]n, [[O]]o, [[P]]p, [[Q]]q, [[R]]r, [[S]]s, [[T]]t, [[V]]v, [[X]]x, [[Y]]y, [[Z]]z

It should be noted that although the Latin alphabet does not contain the letter U, the language itself now contains both the sounds of the English U and V, both denoted by V - the placing of the letter determines the pronunciation.<ref>http://www.ai.uga.edu/mc/latinpro.pdf</ref>

It should be noted that although the Latin alphabet does not contain the letter U, the language itself now contains both the sounds of the English U and V, both denoted by V - the placing of the letter determines the pronunciation.<ref>http://www.ai.uga.edu/mc/latinpro.pdf</ref>

In the English language three characters have been added to the Latin alphabet, and the English alphabet comprises the following '''26''' characters:

In the English language three characters have been added to the Latin alphabet, and the English alphabet comprises the following '''26''' characters:

:Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, '''[[J|Jj]]''', Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, '''[[U|Uu]]''', Vv, '''[[W|Ww]]''', Xx, Yy, Zz

:Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, '''[[J]]j''', Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, '''[[U]]u''', Vv, '''[[W]]w''', Xx, Yy, Zz

=== Other Languages ===

=== Other Languages ===

Most Germanic and Romance languages from Europe use the same letters as the English alphabet. Some languages expand the alphabet's representation with with [[diacritic]]al<ref>Sometimes referred to as ''accented'' letter, e.g. á, ç, è, î, ñ, ü</ref> markings on the letters, but these are not considered by the language to be distinct letters. [[digraph]]s<ref>Two letters that represent a single sound and are regarded as distinct from their individual components, such as ''ll'' in Welsh or Spanish</ref> and [[ligature]]s <ref>Two letters that are combined into one such as the German double-S: '''''ß'''''</ref>.

Most Germanic and Romance languages from Europe use the same letters as the English alphabet. Some languages expand the alphabet's representation with [[diacritic]]al<ref>Sometimes referred to as ''accented'' letter, e.g. á, ç, è, î, ñ, ü</ref> markings on the letters, but these are not considered by the language to be distinct letters. [[digraph]]s<ref>Two letters that represent a single sound and are regarded as distinct from their individual components, such as ''ll'' in Welsh or Spanish</ref> and [[ligature]]s.<ref>Two letters that are combined into one such as the German double-S: '''''ß'''''</ref>  

== Greek Alphabet ==

== Greek Alphabet ==

The Greek alphabet comprises the following characters:

The Greek alphabet comprises the following characters:

[[Alpha|Αα]], [[Beta|Ββ]], [[Gamma|Γγ]], [[Delta|Δδ]], [[Epsilon|Εε]], [[Zeta|Ζζ]], [[Eta|Ηη]], [[Theta|Θθ]], [[Iota|Ιι]], [[Kappa|Κκ]], [[Lamda|Λλ]], [[Mu (Greek letter)|Μμ]], [[Nu|Νν]], [[Xi|Ξξ]], [[Omicron|Οο]], [[Pi|Ππ]], [[Rho| Ρ ρ]], [[Sigma|Σσς]], [[Tau|Ττ]], [[Upsilon|Υυ]], [[Phi|Φφ]], [[Chi|Χχ]], [[Psi|Ψψ]], [[Omega|Ωω]]

[[Alpha|Αα]], [[Beta|Ββ]], [[Gamma|Γγ]], [[Delta|Δδ]], [[Epsilon|Εε]], [[Zeta|Ζζ]], [[Eta|Ηη]], [[Theta|Θθ]], [[Iota|Ιι]], [[Kappa|Κκ]], [[Lamda|Λλ]], [[Mu (Greek letter)|Μμ]], [[Nu|Νν]], [[Xi|Ξξ]], [[Omicron|Οο]], [[Pi|Ππ]], [[Rho|Ρ ρ]], [[Sigma|Σσς]], [[Tau|Ττ]], [[Upsilon|Υυ]], [[Phi|Φφ]], [[Chi|Χχ]], [[Psi|Ψψ]], [[Omega|Ωω]]

In addition to the single letters, Greek letters may be combined to make completely new sounds, such as ντ, which makes a "d" sound or αυ, which makes the sound "af" or "av".

In addition to the single letters, Greek letters may be combined to make completely new sounds, such as ντ, which makes a "d" sound or αυ, which makes the sound "af" or "av".

== Cyrillic Alphabet ==

== Cyrillic Alphabet ==

{{main|Cyrillic alphabet}}

{{main|Cyrillic alphabet}}

The '''Cyrillic alphabet''', and variants of it, is used in [[Russian]], [[Ukrainian]], [[Bulgarian]], [[Serbo-Croat]] and [[Mongolian]] (in the Republic of [[Mongolia]]). The Cyrillic alphablet was mandatory in [[Soviet]] republics before their independence from the [[Soviet Union]], but many of these have reverted to their earlier alphabets which often are based on Latin letters.

The '''Cyrillic alphabet''', and variants of it, is used in [[Russian language|Russian]], [[Ukrainian]], [[Bulgarian]], [[Serbo-Croat]] and [[Mongolian]] (in the Republic of [[Mongolia]]). The Cyrillic alphablet was mandatory in [[Soviet]] republics before their independence from the [[Soviet Union]], but many of these have reverted to their earlier alphabets which often are based on Latin letters.

== Hebrew Alphabet ==

== Hebrew Alphabet ==

== Korean alphabet ==

== Korean alphabet ==

== Thai alphabet ==

== Thai alphabet ==

==See Also==

==See also==

*[[Semitic languages]]

*[[Semitic languages]]

==External Links==

==External links==

*[http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~rfradkin/alphapage.html Evolution of Alphabets]

*[http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~rfradkin/alphapage.html Evolution of Alphabets]

*[http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~rfradkin/phon-greek.html Evolution of Greek Alphabet from Phoenecian]

*[http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~rfradkin/phon-greek.html Evolution of Greek Alphabet from Phoenecian]