Ancient vs. Modern Writing Systems

What does the word “writing” mean?

• To form (characters, symbols, etc.)

• Handwriting or penmanship

• To sit down and write (compose)

• To create sentences

The earliest known civilization is __________. They were first to use writing system.

• China

• Sumerians

• Egyptian

• Phoenicians

8000 BCE, Sumerians started writing on clay by drawing picture

• Pictographs

• cuneiform

• Hieroglyphics

• logosyllabary

3500 BCE, Sumerians developed more complex writing system

• Pictographs

• cuneiform

• Hieroglyphics

• logosyllabary

________,also means “wedged-shape,” is the first actual writing system to keep records of buying & selling.

• Pictographs

• cuneiform

• Hieroglyphics

• logosyllabary

By 3100 BCE, different type of writing developed by Egyptian

• Pictographs

• cuneiform

• Hieroglyphics

• logosyllabary

was first written by clay and then developed to be written on papyrus.

• Pictographs

• cuneiform

• Hieroglyphics

• logosyllabary

In 1000 BCE, the Phoenicians developed another writing system, which known as the mother of modern writing.

• Hieroglyphics

• Phoenicians Abjads

• cuneiform

• Pictographs

By 750 BCE, the ________ used Phoenician abjad to develop an alphabet that helped people to pronounce consonants and vowels.

• Chinese

• Greeks

• Romans

• German

The ________ also used this alphabet, which spread through Northern and Eastern Europe.

• Greeks

• Romans

• Chinese

• German