Phoenician alphabet

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/phoenician-alphabet

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the writing system classification?Abjad, a consonantal alphabet with 22 letters
2. What is the period of prominence?Primarily the 1st millennium BC (circa 1050 BC to 200 BC)
3. Why did the Phoenician alphabet become so popular?Phoenician traders sailed all over the Mediterranean and shared their writing system with other peoples. The short, clear letters were easy to learn and use.
4. How did the Phoenician alphabet influence the Greek alphabet?The Greeks took the Phoenician letters and added vowel symbols, turning it into a true alphabet. This new alphabet later helped create the Latin alphabet we use today.

Abjad: A writing system composed of letters that primarily represent consonants, with vowels often omitted or indicated optionally.
Grapheme: The smallest meaningful unit of a writing system; a letter or symbol.
Matres Lectionis: Consonant letters used in some Semitic alphabets to denote long vowel sounds, bridging the gap to fully vocalized alphabets.