The English alphabet is the result of thousands of years of cultural transmission and modification. Early alphabetic scripts developed from older writing traditions in the ancient Near East. The Phoenician alphabet helped spread the system around the Mediterranean, where Greek writers adapted it and introduced explicit vowel letters. Greek writing influenced the Etruscans and Romans, leading toward the Latin alphabet. Over centuries, letter shapes changed, some symbols disappeared, and new ones emerged. The 26 letters used in English therefore represent a long chain of historical evolution. MLA Source: Schmandt Besserat, Denise. “The Alphabet: The Segmentation of Sounds.” The Evolution of Writing, University of Texas at Austin. University of Texas at Austin. Want more interesting content like this ? Follow gravitonomy :) Via : Unknown No copyright infringement intended. Kindly DM for Credit/Removal/Collaboration :) #english #alphabet #science #language #etymology