"The Great courses, Topic: Literature & language ; Subtopic: Linguistics"--Cover. "Course no. 20020"--Disc labels. 16 lectures lasting an average of 24 minutes each. Course guidebooks laid in each container. Guidebooks contain outlines for each lecture. Includes bibliographical references in course guidebook. Instructor, John McWhorter, Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University.
Contents:
Disc 2. How did punctuation develop? Cuneiform: the world's first writing ; How Egyptian hieroglyphs work ; The invention of alphabets ; The alphabet goes East ; The advent of A, E, and O ; Lost at C ; The history of H -- Disc 2. The inception of I and it's journey to J ; The quirks and zigzags of Q and Z ; The ramblings of R ; The unfolding of U, V, W, and F ; The yesteryears of Y ; Brisk sojourns through B, L, N, and S ; Meditations on M, D, X, and T ; How did punctuation develop?
Summary:
"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."--Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.