________________
CONTENTS
VII
Page 186
Chapter XI. QUASI-ALPHABETIC SCRIPTS
The scripts. Early Persian cuneiform script; the script; origin and end; inscriptions; decipherment; bibliography. Meroitic scripts: Mervē; the scripts; origin; influences bibliography,
SECOND PART
193
ALPHABETIC SCRIPTS I. ORIGIN OF ALPHABET
The problem. Egyptian theory. Other theories. Cretan theory, Prehistoric-geometric signs theory. Ideographic theory. Sinaitic theory. Ugarit cuneiform alphabet. The pseudo-hieroglyphic script of Byblos and the origin of the alphabet according to M. Dunand. Undeciphered inscriptions found in Egypt. Balu'a inscription. Other attempts at alphabetic writing. Early Canaanite inscriptions and "missing-link" theory, North Semitic inscriptions. Original alphabetic writing. Where was the alphabet invented? Influence of other systems. Decisive achievement. Absence of vowels. Names of letters. Order of letters. Main branches of early alphabets. Bibliography,
eu inscriphabetic writirth Semi
223
II. South SEMITIC ALPHABETS
Ancient South Arabia South Semitic alphabets. South Arabian inscriptions. North Arabian inscriptions. Origin of South Semitic alphabets. Ethiopic script: origin; development of Ethiopic writing. Bibliography.
III.
235
CANAANITE BRANCH Canaanites. Early Hebrew alphabet; inscriptions; the script. Samaritan alphabet and script on Jewish coins. Scripts of Moubites, Ammonites, and Edomites. Phænician alphabet. Bibliography. Probable offshoots of Phirnician alphabet: Libyan scripts: bibliography. Iberian scripts; bibliography.
IV
253
ARAMAIC BRANCH
The Aramaeans; Aramacan states; spread of Aramaic speech. Aramaic alphabet; development; "dog-Aramaie"; Armazi Aramaic. Offshoots of Aramaic alphabet: Classical Hebrew alphabet: origin; inscriptions and manuscripts; varieties of Hebrew alphabet; modem Hebrew alphabet; vowel marks; other diacritical marks; origin of punctuation marks and their employment; Yiddish and Judezmo. The Nabatzeans and their script. Neo-Sinaitic alphabet. Arabic alphabet: Arabic language and script; origin of Arabic alphabet; early development of Arabic alphabet; development of Arabic script: Kufic and Naskhi; modern Arabic alphabet; diacritical points; adaptation of the Arabic character to other languages. Palmyrene alphabet. Syriac scripts: Syrians; their scripts; Syriac; Christian Palestinian or Palestinian Syriac: Syriac alphabet; vocalization; punctuation; direction of
