The history of writing from Aleph "Alf" to alphabet to AI
2023-04-07
What is the history of writing? It is said that Wordle is losing popularity. This five-letter daily mystery word game has attracted millions of players, including Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, and Bradley Cooper. But how did words come into existence?
A smartphone user playing Wordle, the online word game.Photo byDreamstime #240506332.
Why has Wordle lost popularity? One answer is:
“There is much speculation that one reason for its decline is because the New York Times bought the game. Many players were concerned that the game would become drastically different after the shift, but Wordle has not become harder or experienced any change in its gameplay. A second reason is knockoffs.” — Student Journalism.
I couldn’t add anything to the premise, as I have never played. I still enjoy the NY Times crossword puzzle.
“Octordle. It’s just Wordle with more words. Don’t be impressed, it’s not harder. I was invited to join a cool little red velvet rope celebrity Wordle group. Matt [Damon]’s one of them. Jason Bateman and Bradley [Cooper], and … Actually, the first rule of Wordle is don’t talk about Wordle. Unless you get it in three guesses. I used to do the crossword compulsively in the mornings and think I was good at word games. And let’s face it, going up against actors, it’s not a high bar. I expected to do fairly well, so I was seriously humbled. You have to do the Wordle, the Quordle and the Octordle, and add up your score, and then whoever gets the lowest score wins for the day. It’s fiercely competitive, and there’s a lot of mockery and derision. So, I’m in training.” — Ben Affleck.
So, how did writing and words come about?
Writing has come a long way from its earliest forms of hieroglyphics and cave paintings to the modern digital era of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Various factors, such as the development of technology, trade, and social practices, have influenced the history of writing.
When did we start writing?
The origins of writing date back to around 4000 BC when the ancient Egyptians developed hieroglyphics, a system of writing using pictures to represent words and ideas. However, it wasn't until the Sumerians in Mesopotamia developed a more complex writing system that writing became widespread.
Ancient cuneiform from Babylon in Mesopotamia - Assyrian and Sumerian writing carved on clay or stone.Photo byDreamstime #138966879
The Sumerians developed cuneiform, which used a stylus to create wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets. This system allowed for recording inventory, trade, and other important information.
As the writing system evolved, it became more sophisticated, and by 3000 BC, the Sumerians had developed a full syllabic writing system.
“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” ― E. L. Doctorow.
A group of primitive people hunts a herd of hoofed animals of deer and moose - Stylization of cave rock art.Photo byDreamstime #143692000.
Cavemen & cave art
Cavemen left their mark on the world through cave paintings, finger flutings, and the use of the first paint. The Red Deer cave people, who lived in China around 14,000 years ago, created bird bone flutes with inscriptions, which are believed to be some of the oldest written artifacts in the world.
Egyptians started the alphabet, which was further developed by the Phoenicians and Greeks. The alphabet was easier to learn than hieroglyphics, which required years of training. The Phoenicians developed a simplified alphabet with 22 letters that became the basis for the Greek alphabet.
Depending on the transliteration, Alf or Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and originates in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
The hieroglyphic symbol for an ox's head called "aleph," in the Canaanite language, is believed to have inspired the shape of the Hebrew letter Aleph.
The hieroglyphic symbol was used to represent the sound of the letter "A" in the ancient Semitic languages, including Phoenician and Hebrew.
The letter Aleph later became the basis for the Greek letter Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Also, the Latin letter A is the first letter of the modern English alphabet.
Thus, the ancient Egyptian god Alf or Aleph (could Alf be an acronym for alien life form?) played an important role in the evolution of the alphabet we use today.
"A word after a word after a word is power." — Margaret Atwood.
A medieval printer holds own book near the printing press.Photo byDreamstime #38174598.
Newspapers & books
The printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg (the Gutenberg Press) in the 15th century, revolutionized how information was shared. Gutenberg's invention made books more widely available and affordable, increasing literacy rates.
The first daily newspaper, "The Daily Courant," was published in London in 1702. It was a small publication that provided news and commentary on politics and other topics of interest.
The first daily newspaper in the United States was the "Pennsylvania Evening Post," founded by Benjamin Towne in 1783.
“Newspapers abound, and though they have endured decades of decline in readership and influence, they can still form impressive piles if no one takes them out to the trash.” — Jon Stewart.
St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper displayed the Apollo 11 moon mission on July 21, 1969.Photo byDreamstime #52312100.
Today, some of the most popular daily newspapers in the United States include "The New York Times," "The Wall Street Journal," and "USA Today." These newspapers continue to provide news and information to millions of people every day.
The New York Times had an average weekday circulation of 310,000 copies and a weekend print distribution of 745,000 in 2022. Although those numbers are down dramatically with online subscriptions, the NYT is one of the USA’s largest print media.
"Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one." — Neil Gaiman.
Computers, phones, and tablets
These newfangled gadgets have changed the way we write and communicate.
Blogging has become a popular form of writing, with many people sharing their thoughts, opinions, and experiences with others.
“Around 7 million blog posts are published per day. With the number of active blogs hovering around 500 million, it's not surprising to discover that over 7 million blog posts are published daily.” — First Site Guide.
According to Linda Carroll, an average of 47,000 posts are published on Medium daily. That’s 1958 per hour and about 33 per minute.
Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are popular ways to communicate and share information. These platforms have given rise to new forms of writing, such as micro-blogging and meme culture.
“Instagram says that 1 million memes are shared on its social network daily.” — Digital Information World.
"The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed." — William Gibson.
The history of writing has been a long and fascinating journey. Expanding from the earliest forms of hieroglyphics and cuneiform to the modern digital era of AI.
Writing has been influenced by technological advancements, social practices, and the need to share information. As we continue to evolve, it will be interesting to see how writing changes and adapts to new technologies and social practices.
As we have seen, writing has been a powerful tool for sharing ideas and recording history throughout human civilization. From the cave paintings of our ancestors to the newspapers (both printed and online versions) of today, writing has been a means of preserving our culture and communicating with one another.
As the world continues to change and evolve, it's clear that writing will continue to play an important role in our lives.
"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." — Toni Morrison.
How might AI change the face of content creation?
AI is set to revolutionize content creation and writing by providing advanced tools to assist writers and content creators in various ways.
With the advent of AI-powered writing tools, content creators can now generate more compelling and effective content in less time. AI can analyze data, suggest keywords, generate headlines, and even automate content creation.
AI-powered content creation tools can also personalize content for specific target audiences, making it more engaging and relevant. As AI continues to evolve, it is clear that it will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of content creation and writing.
However, it will not replace the author/writer/creator until it can understand and incorporate humor and emotion into its writing. IMHO.
If you’re interested in making a side hustle from writing about local news, sign up using my referral link, and we can both make more. Don’t forget to use your link when you write.
About the author
Stephen Dalton is a native of Old Town, ME, and a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. He is a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Top Writer in Travel, Food, Fiction, Transportation, VR, NFL, Design, Creativity, Short Story, and a NewsBreak Community Voice Pro.
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