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.
Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet
Examine the alphabet from A to Z with linguist John McWhorter and discover what the development of writing can teach us about language, culture, and human connection.
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Bd10 from
Light and interesting course
I have always teen fascinated by the invention of alphabets. Indeed, a professor in another course indicated that the invention of alphabet is the most import invention of all time. I agree because it preserves information which leads to more information and other inventions. So, I took this course to find out more about the invention and development of alphabets. I like professor McWhorter‘s style of presentation. It was conversational. I also liked his humor and personal teaching experiences with his students or his daughter. However, I could not relate to his personal experience/ perspective on finding some alphabets beautiful or ugly, colorful, tasty, metallic, etc. I never have thought of a particular alphabet being more beautiful than the other or being eatable! So, these were distraction and subjective. The graphics were very helpful and highlights of the course. There were some redundancies and I think the course could have been shortened. But overall, it was informative. I enjoyed the topics especially the development from Egyptians, Greek, Roman, French and English alphabets. Interesting and fascinating stuff going from a picture of an ox to letter A!
Date published: 2024-10-25
Rated 5 out of
5
by
mcbdale from
"Edutainment" that makes my day more interesting!
I love this course—it's fascinating material. I've always been curious about the alphabet and quirks of English, but never got around to researching them.
This course is exactly what I was looking for. While I appreciate The Great Courses for their serious, academic-style lectures that I take notes on, sometimes I want something more casual. I look for engaging educational videos I can watch while doing chores, without feeling guilty for not taking notes.
Sometimes, I want a mix of education and entertainment—"edutainment."
This course fits the bill perfectly. I enjoy McWhorter's personality, jokes, and unique perspectives (like associating letters with sensations or colors).
If you're seeking a super-serious, university-style lecture series, McWhorter or this course might not be your cup of tea. But if you want to learn while having a good laugh now and then, this is it!
Date published: 2024-10-14
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Robert22066 from
Partly Good Education Partly Slapstick
The lecturer has to speak very quickly because he repeats himself so much. You need to spend much time deciding whether he is adding new material, just repeating himself, or off on an irrelevent digression. He does not seem certain whether he is entertaining bored 8-year-olds or teaching adult learners who have shown an interest in the subject. He does speak clearly and does not seem to be reading from a teleprompter.
Not suitable for audio. Much information is presented visually.
Three stars. Interesting material once you get past the antics, if the topic interests you. His description of pronunciation changes was helpful for Course 30020, Old English Literature, which mentioned but did not develop the topic.
Date published: 2024-06-11
Rated 3 out of
5
by
asr24 from
Not as good as I expected
I have long been fascinated by the history of writing, alphabets, linguistics, etc., but I found this course to be nearly unwatchable. I enjoyed another course by Professor McWhorter (Language A to Z) and his columns in the NY Times. However, the constant jokiness and irrelevant asides in this course are very distracting; they're not funny or interesting. The content gets lost amongst his attempts at humor.
Date published: 2024-05-25
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Mikc from
Fantastic and Fun!
Can you hear that noise after the last lecture? That's me clapping. I LOVED this class. What absolute fun. And his going off tangentially on other endearing subjects/thoughts was totally cool. I'm going to get on this fun ride again, as I need to revisit some (a lot) of the information provided. Bravo. Five stars.
Date published: 2024-04-20
Rated 4 out of
5
by
waits333 from
A generally interesting series
This set was not exactly what I was expecting: a little chaotic - but then I'm more of a list person, detailed at times while very broad in others, and not focused exactly where I expected, although that was probably more of a hope than an expectation. The speaker cracked me up at times, he's very knowledgeable, and I like the use of graphics. Overall I enjoyed the course and actually wished at times that I had been in the room with him to ask some questions. It was worth the watch.
Date published: 2024-04-19
Rated 3 out of
5
by
RowingRoger from
Disappointing Intellectually and Historically
McWhorter is a brilliant guy but he rambles through the alphabet for the majority of the course. To offer this course as "Ancient Writing," is quite misleading. McWhorter never defines "writing" or "a writing system" and therefore leaves open questions as to why he and others think "writing" began in Mesopotamia and not with cave drawings, as others are beginning to assert. Moreover, "ancients" had many more reasons to "write" than for trade and economic reasons. Those reasons are not addressed. For most of the course McWhorter sits and provides informed understandings of letters and sounds but the larger, for me, more important questions of "Did not writing also have an impact upon speech?" "Which languages are more complex? Why?" "Of what do writing and writing system have the hardest time describing or communicating?" There are far better courses on Wondrium to take than this one.
Date published: 2024-04-11
Rated 4 out of
5
by
LaJa from
interesting with depth and breadth
I enjoyed the course. I had skepticism about a few of the theories/explanations of how certain things evolved or came about, but I guess that is the nature of the subject matter.
I would like to find more courses like this.
Date published: 2024-03-18
Overview
About
John McWhorter is an Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He earned a PhD in Linguistics from Stanford University. He is the author of several books, including The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language; Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter; and Word on the Street, a book on dialects and Black English. He has also been published in outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, and he has appeared on Dateline and Good Morning America, among other platforms.
Trailer
01: The Nature of Writing
Begin your exploration of ancient writing with a consideration of how written language and spoken language differ and see why writing is an artificial construct that developed relatively late in human history. Look at Maya hieroglyphs as an example of how writing develops. Close with an overview of what you will cover in the course.
25 min
02: Cuneiform: The World’s First Writing
Cuneiform is the earliest surviving form of writing and dates to 3500 BCE. Trace the origins of this writing system by examining why it developed, how it evolved from accounting pictograms to a more complex system, and how it helps us better understand ancient history. Also consider how cuneiform influenced the emergence of other writing systems.
25 min
03: How Egyptian Hieroglyphs Work
One of the most familiar ancient writing systems to modern audiences is Egyptian hieroglyphics. Get a basic overview of how hieroglyphics function as a written form of language and consider why it never progressed to an alphabet system. Learn why it took so long for later scholars to decipher hieroglyphics, even with the Rosetta Stone as a deciphering key.
26 min
04: The Invention of Alphabets
Follow the progression of writing systems in the ancient world with a look at the Phoenician alphabet as it developed from Egyptian hieroglyphics and spread across the Red Sea to the Middle East. Along the way, examine its influence on writing systems in other languages like Aramaic and Greek. Also, consider the advantages of an alphabet-based writing system for the spread of literacy.
19 min
05: The Alphabet Goes East
Explore the development of writing systems in South and Southeast Asia—a part of the story of writing that is often overshadowed by developments in East Asia and Europe. Trace the connections between the scripts of South Asia and the writing systems of the Middle East to see how writing systems can influence others.
27 min
06: The Advent of A, E, and O
The “ah” sound of a short letter “A” is the most basic building block of language. Examine the origins of the letter “A” as both a symbol and a sound and see why other vowels like “E” and “O” were developed later. Discover what the letter “A” can teach us about how the alphabet relates to language itself.
23 min
07: Lost at C
Why does a letter like “C” operate the way it does? Go back to the ancient world of the Etruscans to trace its earliest origins. Get a clearer picture of the ways that the sounds of letters transform over time. Also, consider the nature of spelling systems and how they often stay the same while other elements of the language change over time.
24 min
08: The History of H
The letter “H” is a unique letter of the alphabet in how often we treat it as if it doesn’t exist. Examine the ways we use the letter “H,” why the French influence on English affects “H” so much, and why many European languages drop it as a sound altogether while still preserving the letter in the alphabet.
32 min
09: The Inception of I and Its Journey to J
Turn back to the great vowel shift of the 15th and 16th centuries to understand the transformation of English pronunciation. Then trace the birth of the letter “J” in the early 19th century as the result of an odd tangle of historical factors, including the national pride of Noah Webster.
24 min
10: The Quirks and Zigzags of Q and Z
Consider the “accidental” letters “Q” and “Z.” Look back to the Phoenician alphabet to better understand why English doesn’t really need a “Q,” and consider how English acquired the letter “Z” through Latin by way of Greek. Also, discover why “Z” sits at the very end of the alphabet.
27 min
11: The Ramblings of R
Why does the letter “R” make such a wide array of sounds across languages? Trace the origins of “R” as both a letter and a sound. Discover why it is such an odd letter and why it is often one of the last sounds mastered by children as they learn language. Also, look at the unusual graphic transformation of the letter “R” when written in cursive.
22 min
12: The Unfolding of U, V, W, and F
Take a convoluted trip through the history of the letters “U,” “V,” and “W” and see how they connect to the letter “F.” From ancient Greek to the medieval period and beyond, these letters illustrate how the creation of an alphabet is a messy, nonlinear process with numerous twists and turns along the way.
23 min
13: The Yesteryears of Y
Discover the “why” of “Y” as you examine the sound it once referred to—which is not present in modern English—and witness the journey of a borrowed letter that made its way across the ages to our current alphabet. Also, consider how the English collision with French altered the alphabet, adding and dropping letters.
20 min
14: Brisk Sojourns through B, L, N, and S
Get a quick overview of some of the most common letters of the alphabet and see why the history of “B,” “L,” “N,” and “S” is easier to trace than letters you have covered so far. Look back on the alphabets of the Phoenicians and Greeks to see where these letters started and why they look the way they do.
17 min
15: Meditations on M, D, X, and T
Here, you will engage with a set of letters that have entangled origins. Begin with the straightforward origins of “M” and how it led to the creation of the letter “D.” Then, take a similar journey as you look at the relationship of “T” and “X.” Close with a consideration of why the letters of the alphabet are in the order that we know today.
18 min
16: How Did Punctuation Develop?
Since the spread of writing and literacy created the need for a tool that could help readers better comprehend what they were reading, bring the course to a close with a look at punctuation. Consider why commas, periods, semicolons, question marks, and other symbols developed and how they became an integral part of modern writing systems.
28 min
