Evolution of a Letterform

"The hand image evolved through Egyptian, Phoenician, Greek writing into the Roman capital K"



(Source: http://www.kingstonpubliclibrary.org/kpl_alphabet_mural.htm)

As you can see below, the Phoenician Kaph ("K") which originally symbolized the palm of the hand, does look somewhat like a hand.



(Image source: http://www.guide-to-symbols.com/phoenician/)

The Origins of Words / Writing

A book I must read!

Phoenician Alphabet

The roots of calligraphy stem back to the earliest forms of writing. Beyond the ancient pictorial cave paintings and Egyptian hieroglyphic symbols, it was the Phoenicians who developed and used the first known alphabet.


(Image source: http://www.designingwithtype.com/items/itemsPhoenician.html)

Another image showing the evolution of writing from the earliest known forms:



(Image source: http://atheism.about.com/od/ancientmythologyreligion/ig/Lebanon-Phoenician-Photos/Phoenician-Alphabet.htm)

An example of the actual Phoenician alphabet in use, incised on a stone tablet:



(Image source: http://www.atlantisquest.com/glozel.html)

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Arabic type designer and typographer Pascal Zoghbi has designed this beautiful font Fnikiya, based upon the Phoenician alphabet. A charming and functional modern interpretation!



(Image source: http://29letters.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/fniqiya-type/)