Chapter 85

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ENGLISH ALPHABET.

§ 160. The preceding chapter has exhibited the theory of a full and perfect alphabet; it has shown how far the English alphabet falls short of such a standard; and, above all, it has exhibited some of the conventional modes of spelling which the insufficiency of alphabets, combined with other causes, has engendered. The present chapter gives a _history_ of our alphabet, whereby many of its defects are _accounted for_. These defects, it may be said, once for all, the English alphabet shares with those of the rest of the world; although, with the doubtful exception of the French, it possesses them in a higher degree than any.

With few, if any exceptions, _all the modes of writing in the world originate_, directly or indirectly, from the Phoenician.

At a certain period the alphabet of Palestine, Phoenicia, and the neighboring languages of the Semitic tribes, consisted of _twenty-two_ separate and distinct letters.

Now the chances are, that, let a language possess as few elementary articulate sounds as possible, an alphabet of only _twenty-two_ letters will be insufficient.

Hence it may safely be asserted, that the original Semitic alphabet was _insufficient_ for even the _Semitic_ languages.

§ 161. In this state it was imported into Greece. Now, as it rarely happens that any two languages have precisely the same elementary articulate sounds, so it rarely happens that an alphabet can be transplanted from one tongue to another, and be found to suit. When such is the case, alterations are required. The extent to which these alterations are made at all, or (if made) made on a right principle varies with different languages. Some _adapt_ an introduced alphabet well: others badly.

Of the _twenty-two_ Phoenician letters the Greeks took but _twenty-one_. The eighteenth letter, _tsadi_ [Hebrew: TS] was never imported into Europe.

Compared with the Semitic, the _Old_ Greek alphabet ran thus:--

_Hebrew._ _Greek._

1. [Hebrew: '] [Alpha]. 2. [Hebrew: B] [Beta]. 3. [Hebrew: G] [Gamma]. 4. [Hebrew: D] [Delta]. 5. [Hebrew: H] [Epsilon]. 6. [Hebrew: W] Digamma. 7. [Hebrew: Z] [Zeta]. 8. [Hebrew: CH] [Eta]. 9. [Hebrew: T`] [Theta]. 10. [Hebrew: Y] [Iota]. 11. [Hebrew: K] [Kappa]. 12. [Hebrew: L] [Lambda]. 13. [Hebrew: M] [Mu]. 14. [Hebrew: N] [Nu]. 15. [Hebrew: S] [Sigma]? 16. [Hebrew: `] [Omicron]. 17. [Hebrew: P] [Pi]. 18. [Hebrew: TS] -- A letter called 19. [Hebrew: Q] koppa, afterwards ejected. 20. [Hebrew: R] [Rho]. 21. [Hebrew: SH] M afterwards [Sigma]? 22. [Hebrew: T] [Tau].

The _names_ of the letters were as follows:

_Hebrew._ _Greek._

1. Aleph Alpha. 2. Beth Bæta. 3. Gimel Gamma. 4. Daleth Delta. 5. He E, _psilon._ 6. Vaw _Digamma._ 7. Zayn Zæta. 8. Heth Hæta. 9. Teth Thæta. 10. Yod Iôta. 11. Kaph Kappa. 12. Lamed Lambda. 13. Mem Mu. 14. Nun Nu. 15. Samech Sigma? 16. Ayn O. 17. Pe Pi. 18. Tsadi ---- 19. Kof Koppa, _Archaic_. 20. Resh Rho. 21. Sin San, _Doric_. 22. Tau Tau.

The alphabet of Phoenicia and Palestine being adapted to the language of Greece, the first change took place in the manner of writing. The Phoenicians wrote from right to left; the Greeks from left to right. Besides this, the following principles were recognised;--

a. Letters for which there was no use were left behind. This was the case, as seen above, with the eighteenth letter, _tsadi_.

b. Letters expressive of sounds for which there was no precise equivalent in Greek, were used with other powers. This was the case with letters 5, 8, 16, and probably with some others.