h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Uncle Heavy!

I'm learning about the Phoenician alphabet at the moment. All the references to it I've found on the web say that it and Ugaritic came from the North Semitic alphabet, but nowhere is there any example of what the North Semitic alphabet looked like.

Do you know anything about this?

!!!

asked a question by the great gnomon...my life is now complete

i would imagine, but am by no means sure, that the alphabet is cuneiform of some variety. i believe that cuneiform is not a single alphabet, but in fact just a way of writing - i think i recall my tutor telling me that different cuneiforms exist, some as alphatbets, and some as character languages (like chinese, for instance).

now, im not entirely sure about the phoenician alphabet, but ugarit is definitely a cuneiform script, as i suspect that all ancient near eastern languages were.

you probably know what cuneiform looks like, but if you cant recall, its that script written with wedges and lines pressed into clay tablets

No, Phoenician is not cuneiform, although it is closely related to Ugaritic, which is cuneiform. Phoenician is a 'linear' alphabet which is considered (by most) to be the ancestor of Greek. That's why I'd like to see what North Semitic looked like.

well, the best i can do for you is ask my tutor when i get back...im back at uni in about three weeks...

sorry, im not really an expert

Thanks.

I'll let you know if I haven't found out by then.

It's not often I meet anyone who has even heard of Ugaritic.

well in all honesty i hadnt heard of it until about four months ago...i decided to do a module on ancient near eastern creation myths as part of my theology degree, becuase i thought it sounded interesting. my eyes have certainly been opened...