Alphabetology

/ˌælfəbətˈɑlədʒi/ noun

Definition

The study of alphabets, their history, development, and structure.

Etymology

From alphabet + -ology (a suffix meaning the study of something). -ology comes from Greek logia, from logos meaning word or study. It's used to create words for academic disciplines and fields of knowledge.

Kelly Says

Alphabetology reveals that alphabets are relatively recent inventions—writing existed for 5,000 years before the first true alphabet appeared around 1500 BCE in the Mediterranean, and this innovation (reusing just 20-30 symbols for all sounds) changed civilization forever.

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