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Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet
The ubiquity of the written word in our everyday lives can make it easy to forget how recent the development of writing and literacy are in the span of human history. But writing is, in fact, a very recent phenomenon if we take a step back and look at the big picture of human development. Even if we simply limit our view to the existence of language, writing still occupies a small segment of time. Writing in its earliest forms, particularly, is very different than what we are familiar with today.
So, when—and where—did writing first emerge? Why did early humans find it necessary to record their thoughts in a visual medium? How did cultures that had relied solely on spoken language for thousands of years create symbols that could carry meaning? And how did all the many scripts and systems that developed over the centuries lead us to the 26-letter alphabet of the English language?
Embark on a journey to the very beginning of writing as a tool of language and see how the many threads of history and linguistics came together to create the alphabet that forms the foundation of English writing. Your guide is Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University and in the 16 lectures of Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet, he will help you navigate the complex linguistic and cultural history behind one of our most crucial tools of communication. With his trademark humor and conversational style, Professor McWhorter makes this larger-than-life history as entertaining as it is enlightening.
So, when—and where—did writing first emerge? Why did early humans find it necessary to record their thoughts in a visual medium? How did cultures that had relied solely on spoken language for thousands of years create symbols that could carry meaning? And how did all the many scripts and systems that developed over the centuries lead us to the 26-letter alphabet of the English language?
Embark on a journey to the very beginning of writing as a tool of language and see how the many threads of history and linguistics came together to create the alphabet that forms the foundation of English writing. Your guide is Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University and in the 16 lectures of Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet, he will help you navigate the complex linguistic and cultural history behind one of our most crucial tools of communication. With his trademark humor and conversational style, Professor McWhorter makes this larger-than-life history as entertaining as it is enlightening.
Audible Audio
Published May 19, 2023
13 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
John McWhorter
48 books1,729 followersJohn Hamilton McWhorter (Professor McWhorter uses neither his title nor his middle initial as an author) is an American academic and linguist who is Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, where he teaches linguistics, American studies, philosophy, and music history. He is the author of a number of books on language and on race relations. His research specializes on how creole languages form, and how language grammars change as the result of sociohistorical phenomena.
A popular writer, McWhorter has written for Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, Politico, Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Daily News, City Journal, The New Yorker, among others; he is also contributing editor at The Atlantic and hosts Slate's Lexicon Valley podcas
A popular writer, McWhorter has written for Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, Politico, Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Daily News, City Journal, The New Yorker, among others; he is also contributing editor at The Atlantic and hosts Slate's Lexicon Valley podcas
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 16, 2024
I didn't know how much I didn't know!
You wouldn't think learning about the history of our alphabet would be something zesty, but McWhorter's teaching style and humor made this one of the most pleasurable Great Courses I've listened to so far.
In fact, I immediately downloaded another of his lectures just to hear him talk. It's like a really intelligent and excited squirrel is teaching you something. <--and I mean that in the most complimentary way humanly possible
Basically, I picked this one out because 1) it was free with my Audible subscription 2) it was a short lecture at 6 hours and 18 minutes 3) I'm fascinated by how things got their start.
But to be completely honest, I'd never given any thought to how each and every letter of our alphabet came into existence.
I mean...have you?
The symbols and the sounds they represent must have morphed and changed over the years, but I had really NEVER pondered their origins. Why is A shaped like that? Why did our ancestors decide to come up with W?
Why uppercase and lowercase?
And what the hell is up with cursive?
McWhorter gives the skinny on how and why we started writing things down, and how that progressed into a way to communicate using different kinds of writing systems like abjad, abugida, syllabary, logography, and this very alphabet.
IT WAS SO COOL!
And part of what made McWhorter one of my new favorites was that in spite of (or maybe because of) the fact that language and writing are his jam, he was very flippant about what most sticklers think are the hard and fast rules.
Turns out, the reason there are sometimes weird things that don't make sense when it comes to writing is that it is constantly changing and evolving.
Yes, Grammar Nazi. Even punctuation or the lack of it.
It always has and it always will.
As he pointed out, would anyone be any worse off if we stopped using the apostrophe in contractions? No. They make no difference and will probably someday disappear.
Much like the period at the end of a sentence when people text each other
Highly Recommended.
You wouldn't think learning about the history of our alphabet would be something zesty, but McWhorter's teaching style and humor made this one of the most pleasurable Great Courses I've listened to so far.
In fact, I immediately downloaded another of his lectures just to hear him talk. It's like a really intelligent and excited squirrel is teaching you something. <--and I mean that in the most complimentary way humanly possible
Basically, I picked this one out because 1) it was free with my Audible subscription 2) it was a short lecture at 6 hours and 18 minutes 3) I'm fascinated by how things got their start.
But to be completely honest, I'd never given any thought to how each and every letter of our alphabet came into existence.
I mean...have you?
The symbols and the sounds they represent must have morphed and changed over the years, but I had really NEVER pondered their origins. Why is A shaped like that? Why did our ancestors decide to come up with W?
Why uppercase and lowercase?
And what the hell is up with cursive?
McWhorter gives the skinny on how and why we started writing things down, and how that progressed into a way to communicate using different kinds of writing systems like abjad, abugida, syllabary, logography, and this very alphabet.
IT WAS SO COOL!
And part of what made McWhorter one of my new favorites was that in spite of (or maybe because of) the fact that language and writing are his jam, he was very flippant about what most sticklers think are the hard and fast rules.
Turns out, the reason there are sometimes weird things that don't make sense when it comes to writing is that it is constantly changing and evolving.
Yes, Grammar Nazi. Even punctuation or the lack of it.
It always has and it always will.
As he pointed out, would anyone be any worse off if we stopped using the apostrophe in contractions? No. They make no difference and will probably someday disappear.
Much like the period at the end of a sentence when people text each other
Highly Recommended.
April 6, 2024
Sixteen interesting and vaguely entertaining, lectures on the history of the development of various alphabets and writing systems, the letters of the English alphabet, and a chapter on the development of punctuation. While I find the subject fascinating, the professor's attempts at jokes, occasional musical routines, funny voices, personal anecdotes, and old cultural/TV references aren't really as amusing or helpful as he seems to think it is. Sometimes they are downright distracting! or just eyebrow raising. In any case, Professor McWhorter provided a nice diversion while I was otherwise occupied by pulling weeds on steroids.
November 28, 2023
Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet by John McWhorter is a weird one. I like John's work in other contexts. His books are usually pretty sound, and his other courses on linguistics are both informative and fun. My first exposure to him came from an earlier course. That's why this is weird. McWhorter appears to be entirely too amused with himself delving into dated referential humor, the occasional musical routine, and a very non-serious approach to describing the physical transformations of the letters. It is as if he wanted to teach something to high schoolers who grew up forty to fifty years ago.
The information itself seems mostly fine, and the early lectures are good, its just that once we actually get to the alphabet I'm not sure his novel teaching style in this one really clicked. I found it mildly entertaining, but otherwise I'm not sure what I really took from this other than there was a great vowel shift, we have some duplicate letters, spelling that doesn't make too much sense if you think about it made more sense in the past before we dropped off some letters and added new sounds to things, letters changed a bit by accident or circumstance as they were carried across time and space, and John can't do an accent to save his life half the time. Not terrible, but also not worth the hours of investment finishing the course would take.
The information itself seems mostly fine, and the early lectures are good, its just that once we actually get to the alphabet I'm not sure his novel teaching style in this one really clicked. I found it mildly entertaining, but otherwise I'm not sure what I really took from this other than there was a great vowel shift, we have some duplicate letters, spelling that doesn't make too much sense if you think about it made more sense in the past before we dropped off some letters and added new sounds to things, letters changed a bit by accident or circumstance as they were carried across time and space, and John can't do an accent to save his life half the time. Not terrible, but also not worth the hours of investment finishing the course would take.
February 26, 2024
A big “NOPE” to the Audible audiobook.
It’s a lecture. Got that. On the alphabet. Performed in front of an audience with visual aids. Combine the lack of those visual aids with McWhorter’s lecture style that includes digressions into stories, personal reflections and…I’m not kidding…SONG and I came away with almost nothing retained.
I loved some of his books. His TTC/TGC lectures are great in a video format.
The audiobook? Nope.
It’s a lecture. Got that. On the alphabet. Performed in front of an audience with visual aids. Combine the lack of those visual aids with McWhorter’s lecture style that includes digressions into stories, personal reflections and…I’m not kidding…SONG and I came away with almost nothing retained.
I loved some of his books. His TTC/TGC lectures are great in a video format.
The audiobook? Nope.
December 20, 2023
John really pulled out all the stops on this one. He's super relaxed and you can see his brilliance and unique character very clearly as he presents. Language nerds and teachers. You need this.
January 26, 2026
Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet explores a subject likely unfamiliar to many, and as a result, the lecture series is packed with details that will be entirely new to the average listener. While a significant portion of this information might be classified as trivial—or perhaps uninteresting to anyone outside the field of linguistic expertise—the material remains accessible. The professor's engaging style is the crucial element here, maintaining momentum and interest even when the subject matter dives into the minutiae of antiquity.
The strongest insights are found in the early chapters, which provide a broad overview of different languages and the history of ancient writing systems. This section offers a fascinating look at how human communication evolved, providing context that feels substantial and historically significant. These initial lectures successfully bridge the gap between academic depth and general curiosity, offering a compelling narrative on the origins of recorded thought.
However, the "meat" of the series, which focuses on the history of individual letters within the alphabet, proves to be less captivating. As the lectures drill down into the specific genealogy of characters, the broader historical insights recede, replaced by granular details that may feel repetitive or overly specific for a general audience. Yet, despite this shift in focus, the delivery remains charismatic enough to keep the series enjoyable.
The strongest insights are found in the early chapters, which provide a broad overview of different languages and the history of ancient writing systems. This section offers a fascinating look at how human communication evolved, providing context that feels substantial and historically significant. These initial lectures successfully bridge the gap between academic depth and general curiosity, offering a compelling narrative on the origins of recorded thought.
However, the "meat" of the series, which focuses on the history of individual letters within the alphabet, proves to be less captivating. As the lectures drill down into the specific genealogy of characters, the broader historical insights recede, replaced by granular details that may feel repetitive or overly specific for a general audience. Yet, despite this shift in focus, the delivery remains charismatic enough to keep the series enjoyable.
July 6, 2024
Five stars for the excellent information and Mcwhorter’s witty commentary that makes this listen enjoyable. I learned A LOT.
This is a free listen on audible. It’s a series of lectures, so obviously, lectures are accompanied with slides which audiobooks do not contain. I’m not going to lower the rating of the book because I didn’t receive this information as a lecture as intended. It’s obvious the reader won’t have this before choosing to start this book. That being said, the first six chapters can easily be listened to. After that, since he goes into the specific evolution of each letter, it’s hard to digest without the accompanying visual. I simply didn’t care the indidvual letters over time. I don’t plan on discussing the history of ‘Z’ ever so it didn’t matter
This is a free listen on audible. It’s a series of lectures, so obviously, lectures are accompanied with slides which audiobooks do not contain. I’m not going to lower the rating of the book because I didn’t receive this information as a lecture as intended. It’s obvious the reader won’t have this before choosing to start this book. That being said, the first six chapters can easily be listened to. After that, since he goes into the specific evolution of each letter, it’s hard to digest without the accompanying visual. I simply didn’t care the indidvual letters over time. I don’t plan on discussing the history of ‘Z’ ever so it didn’t matter
November 29, 2023
John McWhorter has a very queer way of thinking and talking about language, but I love it. In the midst of telling you the history of each letter of our alphabet, he tells you what colors and textures and even tastes he imagines each letter has. That on top of the cheesy jokes and references, it’s like being in a real life college class with a quirky professor. I agree with other reviewers that it would be helpful to listen to this book with a visual guide handy, just search “history of the alphabet chart” on Google images and that will help immensely in following along.
(Please tell me that other people assign colors to the different letters of the alphabet too…)
(Please tell me that other people assign colors to the different letters of the alphabet too…)
October 20, 2025
Score: 2/5 (parts worth listening once)
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Themes: evolution of language
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I liked the lectures best when the lecturer was free-associating about off-topic subjects. Maybe I just had the wrong expectations about what the series would be.
The short version of pretty much every lecture is that a letter went through some (or all) of the following linguistic chain: Egypt, Hebraic Kingdoms, Phonecia, Greecian States, Etruscan Kingdom, Roman Empire, French Kingdoms, English Kingdoms.
If you want to listen to that same story repeatedly while sometimes being amused by bizarre associations, you may enjoy this.
************
Themes: evolution of language
************
I liked the lectures best when the lecturer was free-associating about off-topic subjects. Maybe I just had the wrong expectations about what the series would be.
The short version of pretty much every lecture is that a letter went through some (or all) of the following linguistic chain: Egypt, Hebraic Kingdoms, Phonecia, Greecian States, Etruscan Kingdom, Roman Empire, French Kingdoms, English Kingdoms.
If you want to listen to that same story repeatedly while sometimes being amused by bizarre associations, you may enjoy this.
May 30, 2023
I really appreciate John McWhorter as a narrator; he always does a superb job. The topic was interesting and was a fascinating way to look at history. There were many times I had to cross-reference the included PDF, which was a bit tedious, and it didn't always fully solve my confusion. Due to the nature of the topic being so visually based, discussing the form of letters and how they have morphed, I probably would have benefited more from the video lecture version, so maybe one day I will seek those out.
July 24, 2024
I thought this was really interesting. I learned a lot, and it let me indulge my inner nerd.
The 'alphabet' was invented only once in human history, while written language was invented independently 3-4 times. Language is constantly changing, even now when reading, writing, and print have standardized conventions.
The history of the letters in our alphabet can go way back to the very beginning, and have ping-ponged their way through the main literary languages on the way.
The 'alphabet' was invented only once in human history, while written language was invented independently 3-4 times. Language is constantly changing, even now when reading, writing, and print have standardized conventions.
The history of the letters in our alphabet can go way back to the very beginning, and have ping-ponged their way through the main literary languages on the way.
January 16, 2025
I think I would have enjoyed this in person as a lecture, the author seems like he’d be a fun professor, but it was just a little too chaotic for me as an audiobook. I would prefer it more refined and without some of the asides about eating letters (which really confused me before he got more into his synesthesia later). The topic is definitely interesting and I think his style could make it engaging even if it was a book rather than a lecture.
December 12, 2023
So interesting, informative and John McWhorter injects so much humor into the sessions that I often was laughing out loud while listen to the audible book. Especially liked the chapters on ancient forms of early writing. The specific origins of each letter in our alphabet was less intriguing to me but I enjoyed his random humor so much I hated to miss anything.
December 12, 2023
Not as good as his usual stuff. Maybe he was trying to take a more "popular" approach, but while I generally like his casual style, here it was magnified to an annoying degree, at least IMO. (I wasn't aware that he apparently has synesthesia, so hearing how that affects his perception of the various letters wasvery interesting.)
February 21, 2024
Interesting content but could have been edited down a lot by cutting out a few of the lecturer’s diverging chats and topic shifts. I really liked his voice though- it reminded me of Jerry Seinfeld’s, so I was prepared to indulge him a few extra times for that. It would be even better to see this lecture delivered as a video not just audio or print.
May 6, 2025
DNF. While this book is interesting, I have a feeling it's much better if you can watch the video rather than just listening to it. The lecturer makes sounds to represent ancient letters and sounds, which would probably be fine if you could see him as he's doing it. But it's not something that lends itself to an audio experience, especially if you're driving a car!
June 19, 2023
The course talks about the earliest alphabets and their different types. After that the story of every letter and some punctuations is traced from it's beginning to today. Very interesting but it's a very visual course as it shows different versions of letters and how they evolved.
December 8, 2024
This is one of the great examples of The Great Courses--McWhorter is a great professor (you can tell that he enjoys teaching) and the material is good (at least it's my type of educational material). He makes learning about the history of the alphabet as interesting as it should be.
January 24, 2026
This one was pretty good but I feel like most of this was also covered in his Language from A to Z. Or maybe that one covered portions of this. Either way, language and writing is fascinating and weird!
March 17, 2024
The commentary and asides were really over the top but i enjoyed it all the same
June 10, 2024
Enjoyed the broad, basic layout of the very earliest forms of writing that led into deep dives on how individual letters came to be.
July 1, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed, word nerd that I am!
August 16, 2024
fun, and something I'm familiar with, but not as polished as McWhorter usually produces.
More like he is workshopping a class - he is so good, he can make this quite worthwhile.
More like he is workshopping a class - he is so good, he can make this quite worthwhile.
March 29, 2025
Pretty enjoyable romp through the alphabet, although I was disappointed that he didn't say more about the influence of Ugaritic Cuneiform on the development of the alphabet.
June 13, 2025
The narrator was fun and humorous considering the topic. You really need to be interested in the history of languages to get the importance of the lectures.
July 21, 2025
our bullshit language had random arbitrary haphazard bullshit beginnings language don't really mean anything Nothing is holy!
July 26, 2025
This was short and had great insights into the history of writing.
August 11, 2025
Enlightening and delightful as always. I'm a huge fan of John McWhorter.
August 22, 2025
Fantastic exploration of the alphabet from the English perspective. Highly informative and enjoyable. What a great teacher.
December 24, 2025
Less engaging than McWhorter's other courses (he sets a high bar!). Perhaps the alphabet is just a bit less interesting than spoken language.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews