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I Hate fucking niggers

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Most of us use the letters of the alphabet everyday, but did you ever stop to wonder how their shapes came to be? The history of the alphabet is fascinating, and each of the 26 letters has its own unique story. Matt Baker (of UsefulCharts) has designed a handy poster that documents the evolution of our familiar alphabet from its ancient Egyptian Proto-Sinaitic roots (c. 1750 BCE) up to present day Latin script.

The limited edition Evolution of the Alphabet chart shows how early shapes and symbols eventually morphed to become the ABCs we know today. While some letters are recognizable quite early on, others have little resemblance at all. The letter "A" for example, began as an Egyptian hieroglyphic that looks like an animal head with horns. Through Phoenician (c. 1000 BCE), early Greek (c. 750 BCE), and early Latin (c. 500 BCE) periods, the lines that made "A" eventually simplified to become the symbol we know today.

The letter "C" was originally shaped like a boomerang or hunter's stick. It wasn't until around 500 BCE that it was given its crescent shape, and approximately another 500 years more until the Romans flipped it to the direction it is written today (and also reworked the shape to become "G"). Additionally, one particularly interesting development the chart reveals is how the early Greek letter for "F" actually evolved to also become present-day "U," "V," "W," and "Y."

You can buy the Evolution of the Alphabet chart and check out more of Baker's poster designs on the UsefulCharts website.

Matt Baker (of UsefulCharts) has designed a handy poster that documents the fascinating history of the alphabet.

Evolution of the English Alphabet from r/Damnthatsinteresting

All images via Matt Baker / UsefulCharts.

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Colorful Chart Reveals the Evolution of the English Alphabet From Egyptian Hieroglyphics

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Most of us use the letters of the alphabet everyday, but did you ever stop to wonder how their shapes came to be? The history of the alphabet is fascinating, and each of the 26 letters has its own unique story.

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1. What do you notice about the people?

2. what do you notice about the way the art is made?

3. What do you notice about the writing?

4. What kind of symbols do you see?

5. What stories do you think these might tell?

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types of writing

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A selection of items from the Hall of Ancient Egypt

Explore the Mummy Room in the Hall of Ancient Egypt at HMNS. This hall covers the themes of writing, religion, natural resources and-of course-mummification in Ancient Egypt.

Bronze. Late Period, Dynasties 26-30, 664-332 B.C.

Imhotep, the deified patron of architects and doctors, is shown in his typical costume - the clothes of a well-to-do man - and pose, reading a scroll spread out on his lap.

Loan from the Trustees of The Denys Bower Bequest, Chiddingstone Castle, UK.

Painted wood. Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21. 1070-945 B.C. Probably from Thebes.

The coffin and mummy of Neskhons ("the one who belongs to the god Knonsu") were bought in 1900 by Liberty Holden, an Ohio businessman, on holiday in Egypt at the time. Neskhons, who is named on the inscriptions as a priest of Amun, commissioned a splendid example of the ornately decorated coffins of the Third Intermediate Period. Egypt was relatively poor at this time, and large carved and painted tombs were out of most people's reach. Attention was therefore lavished on coffins, which are painted with all the decoration no longer placed in the tombs - turning them into miniature universes centered on the dead person.

Loan from a private collection.

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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Life and Death in Ancient Egypt - Google Arts & Culture

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A selection of items from the Hall of Ancient Egypt Explore the Mummy Room in the Hall of Ancient Egypt at HMNS. This hall covers the themes of writing, religion, natural resources and-of course-mummification in Ancient Egypt. Bronze. Late Period, Dynasties 26-30, 664-332 B.C.

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Relief Depicting Personified Estates from the Tomb of Akhtihotep

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Painted stela of Djedbastet

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Attendants for a Hunting Expedition, Tomb of Qenamun

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Agricultural Scenes, Tomb of Nakht

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Carpenters at Work, Tomb of Rekhmire

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Papyrus with Hieratic Inscription about Neskhonsu, the Singer of the Great God Amun

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Funeral Stela: Priest making an offering to the gods Osiris, Isis, Anubis, Phthah or Hathor

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Pair of Reliefs depicting

Ankh-neb-ef

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sunken relief

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Carved hieroglyphic writing