WRITING 
it is urged that we are to suppose that the 
inventors of letters decomposed the sounds 
of words not only into syllables, but into 
letters ; that observing the component parts 
of syllables, and denoting them by appro- 
priate marks, they used these marks for 
those elementary sounds in the visible re- 
presentation of other words into which 
those sounds entered. This dissection of 
the articulate sounds of man, tracing them 
through alt their various combinations, and 
denoting them by a few simple marks, 
whose combinations might express every 
possible combination of sound, supposes a 
habit of patient experimenting, of discri- 
minating examination, and of exact classifi- 
cation, whicli ill accord with the unculti- 
vated state of human intellect in the early 
period of society. But, 
2. When we consider the antiquity of 
the use of letters, and find them in a state 
of perfection so early as the time of Moses, 
this difficulty appears insuperable. We 
must admit that men in the earliest ages 
stepped at once from a tedious and awk- 
ward, and frequently unintelligible mode of 
communication to one which answers every 
purpose in the shortest way, and that un- 
like all other inventions it. was brought at 
once to such a state of perfection that no 
succeeding alphabet has any real superiority 
over the ancient Hebrew. 
With respect to tlie difficulty of the in- 
vention, the objection lose.s all its force 
w'hen a simple and easy procedure, probable 
in the given circumstances, can be pointed 
ottt. To obviate the difficulty arising from 
the apparent perfection of the most ancient 
alphabets, we may observe. 
First, That in a perfect alphabet every 
letter sltould represent only one definite 
sound, and every known sound in the given 
language should have a corresponding let- 
ter. Now we have no instance of a per- 
fect alphabet among modern languages, 
and have therefore no reason to suppose 
that the first alphabet was perfect. But 
even admitting that some, of the ancient 
alphabets which have been transmitted to 
us were perfect, yet it must be observed, 
Sfccondly, That no known alpliabet, 
however ancient, is in the state of its ori- 
ginal invention. Cadmns, who was born in 
tire east, carried with him into Greece six- 
teen letters only ; the least copious alpha- 
bet we are acquainted witli has twenty -two. 
It is not probable that Cadmus introduced 
fewer than he possessed ; it is more pro- 
bable that he invented new ones to express 
sounds which he found among the abori- 
gines. 
It has generally been supposed of late, 
that alphabetical writing was formed from 
hieroglyphics ; but we liave met with no 
one, except F)e Guignes,, who has stated 
the steps of the transition in a satisfactory 
manner. “ Perliaps,” says this writer, 
“ we have done too much honour to the 
inventor of letters, whoever he were, in 
supposing that he dissected the voice into 
two parts, and invented marks of two 
kinds, some to represent consonants, and 
otliers vowels.” 
The following is, with some variations, 
the hypothesis of this writer. Hierogly- 
phics, with their exactness of delineation, 
lost their original significaiicy. This must 
first be the case with words of most fre- 
quent recurrence, and which entered most 
into combinations with other words; be- 
come simple denotements of sound they 
were employed to express their respective 
sounds in combinations of other monosylla- 
bic words, which, in like manner had lost 
their original significancy. Hence, by de- 
grees, they became representative of the 
component parts of all words into which 
their respective sounds entered. They 
were always words, but very simple, con- 
sisting only of a consonant and a vowel. 
Variation in the pronunciation of Uie vowel 
would occur in difierent dialects, and hence 
these marks would be regarded as con.so- 
nants capable of being differently modified 
by simple vocal sounds. Letters, at first 
monosyllabic words, then became marks 
for the component parts of dissyllabic 
or polysyllabic words; and then for the nn- 
changeable part of those syllables, that is, 
for consonants, In the most ancient state 
of the oriental laffguages vowel sounds had 
no distinct marks. In the latter marks 
were joined to the consonant to express 
the different sounds with which the radical 
consonant was invested. Among the west- 
ern nations a different procedure was adopt- 
ed. In some cases they used the mark 
which they had received from the oriental 
nations for an aspirate and vowel, for the 
vowel itself ; and having once commenced 
tiie use of distinct marks for vowels, the 
procedure was continued, and new marks 
adopted to express noticed variations of 
vocal sounds. 
In support of this statement may be ad- 
duced the following observations : 
1. We have seen that hieroglypliics did 
becomesignificaat of sounds ; and (see Lan- 
