Phoenician Alphabet

How did the Phoenician Alphabet contribute to other

alphabets?

By: Cengiz Rusan

Phoenician Background
1500-300 B.C.

Mediterranean Sea

Traded across Mediterranean

Tyre, Sidon, Arwad, Byblis

Fiercefully independent, rivals

Traders

Unity, not country

Phoenician Background (cont.)
8th century B.C: trading centers founded

3 trading hubs linked to Egypt, Greece, &

Mesopotamia

Polar stars to navigate

9-6 centuries B.C: Established the first

trading centers around Strait of Gibraltar

Caananites but distinct from actual

Caananites
Phoenician Alphabet
Developed by North Semitic alphabet

Spread by traders as they traveled

22 letters

Used sound, not cuneiform or

hieroglyphics
How did their method of trading spread?
Used their number & alphabet system to keep
count

This method went viral

Many clients wanted to learn these systems

Money was involved

Clients highly motivated

Quickly spread across Western world

Alphabet Effects
Phoenicians created alphabet

Root of all Western alphabet systems

Alphabet widely received and readily

adapted in Greece

Many cultures followed Greece

Alphabet Effects (cont.)
9th century B.C: Spread to Cicilia, Asia
Minor

Early Latin, Early Greek, Early

Aramaic, EarlyArabic, Nabataean, and
Modern Latin based off Phoenician
alphabet
Sources
1. "Phoenician Alphabet." Phoenician Alphabet Origin. 2004-2017. Web. 14 May 2017. <http://phoenician.org/alphabet.htm>.

2. "The Phoenician Alphabet." PHOENICIA AND THE ALPHABET. Web. 14 May 2017. <http://maryourmother.net/Alphabet.html

>.

3. Gore, Rick. Who Were the Phoenicians? National Geographic, n.d. Web. 16 May 2017. <

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/features/world/asia/lebanon/phoenicians-text.html>.

4. Author: Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art. "The Phoenicians (1500300 B.C.) | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

| The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 14

May 2017. <http://metmuseum.org/toah/hd/phoe/hd_phoe.htm>.

Sources (cont.)
1. The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. "Phoenician Alphabet." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 19

Apr. 2017. Web. 14 May 2017. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Phoenician-alphabet>.

2. "Phoenician Alphabet." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 May 2017. <

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenician_alphabet>.

3. "Boustrophedon." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 14 May 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boustrophedon>.