________________
46
THE ALPHABET
employed perishable materials, such as wood or a kind of papyrus leaf. Shortly afterwards, perhaps about 3200 B.C., some scribes found it convenient to turn the tablet in such a way that the pictographs appear
Original pictograph
►►Je De la JA DO →) A
Pictograph in position of
later cuneiform
0
J a K IIDA = ILDO B
阿珍辦研紵究文
Ao0
2
Early Classic cuneiform Assyrian
45
邝
白雞食
ATE
平
年
阿仁日
冬
ฐ
Meaning
heaven Cod
earth
man
pudenda
Woman
mous
tain
TUTDUS
Woman
food
腰 白
slare-gi
head
mouth
Co speak)
water
In
Lo drink to go to stand]
bird
fish
Ox
cow
barley
grain
Fig. 19 - Development of cunciform symbols:
SUN
day
to plow
to till
