Test Your Knowledge

What was the origin of the Latin alphabet?

When were the Greek letters ⟨Y⟩ and ⟨Z⟩ adopted into the Latin alphabet?

What was the everyday form of handwriting used for writing letters during the classical Latin period?

When was the letter ⟨W⟩ added to the Latin alphabet?

What was the reason for the variation in writing style throughout the Middle Ages?

What is the general rule for capitalization in languages that use the Latin script?

What was the purpose of Old Roman cursive script?

Which language was not mentioned in the text as one that uses the Latin script?

What was the original source of the Etruscan alphabet?

Origin of Latin Alphabet?

Adoption of ⟨Y⟩ and ⟨Z⟩?

Everyday handwriting form?

When was ⟨W⟩ added?

Reason for writing style variations?

Capitalization rule?

Purpose of Old Roman cursive?

Etruscan alphabet source?

The Latin alphabet evolved from the Etruscan alphabet, which was derived from the Cumaean Greek version of the Greek alphabet, which was itself descended from the Phoenician alphabet, which in turn derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs. Latin adopted Greek letters ⟨Y⟩ and ⟨Z⟩ to write Greek loanwords, placing them at the end of the alphabet. The Latin alphabet contained 23 letters during the classical Latin period. Old Roman cursive script was the everyday form of handwriting used for writing letters, by merchants writing business accounts, by schoolchildren learning the Latin alphabet, and even emperors issuing commands. It was not until the Middle Ages that the letter ⟨W⟩ was added to the Latin alphabet. With the fragmentation of political power, the style of writing changed and varied greatly throughout the Middle Ages, even after the invention of the printing press. The rules for capitalization have changed over time, and different languages have varied in their rules for capitalization. The languages that use the Latin script generally use capital letters to begin paragraphs and sentences and proper nouns.