@article{10.11648/j.history.20251301.16,
  author = {Pliakos Alexios Ap},
  title = {Alphabet: From Linear B to the Greek 27-Letter Alphanumeric System and the Phoenician Abjad},
  journal = {History Research},
  volume = {13},
  number = {1},
  pages = {35-48},
  doi = {10.11648/j.history.20251301.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.history.20251301.16},
  abstract = {The origin of the Greek alphabet has been a longstanding topic of academic inquiry and debate. Advocates of the Phoenician hypothesis posit that, due to the absence of Greek inscriptions between the 12th and 8th centuries BCE, the Greeks likely adopted the Phoenician abjad—a writing system comprising only 22 consonantal characters—and later modified it to suit their linguistic needs. However, the scarcity of surviving Greek inscriptions from this era does not definitively prove the absence of a pre-existing Greek writing system. In contrast, Linear B, a script used by the Greeks between 1500 and 1200 BCE, provides evidence of an earlier Greek writing innovation. Greek scholars argue that ancient sources, credit Palamedes with the invention of sixteen of the twenty-four Greek letters during truces (autumn and winter) of the Trojan War 1227-1218 BCE. The author argues that Palamedes, along with skilled scribes proficient in Linear B and sage soldiers and people, analyzed its syllabic structure to create an alphanumerical system of twenty-seven consonants and vowels from Linear B. The Phoenician abjad, dating from 1050 to 950 BCE, comprises 22 consonantal letters, with vowels inferred—rather than explicitly written—from context, a characteristic that frequently leads to ambiguity. This article offers a concise overview of Linear B and explores the potential role of Palamedes and a committee of skilled individuals in the expansion of the Greek vowel system from five to seven vowels, the creation of seven diphthongs by a rule and the consonant system from 12+F consonants to 18+F, incorporating six double-pronounced consonants derived from five consonants, along with the inclusion of the letter sampi. Through these modifications, they ultimately established a system of 27 phonemes/letters, creating an integrated Greek alphanumerical counting system (e.g., Α = 1, Β = 2, …, F = 6, …, Ι = 10, …, Q = 90, Ρ = 100, Σ = 200, …, Ω = 800, and sampi = 900). Subsequently, the letters F, Q, and sampi were removed (as they were unused in the finally adopted alphabet), resulting in the emergence of the 24-letter Greek alphabet during the Troyan War (1227-1218 BCE). However, proponents of the Phoenician hypothesis have investigated the origins of the Greek alphabet without adequately considering the accounts provided by Liner B and ancient Greek scholars regarding its origin and development. This raises a critical question: Does such an approach facilitate genuine scientific discourse?},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Alphabet: From Linear B to the Greek 27-Letter Alphanumeric System and the Phoenician Abjad
AU  - Pliakos Alexios Ap
Y1  - 2025/06/26
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.history.20251301.16
T2  - History Research
JF  - History Research
JO  - History Research
SP  - 35
EP  - 48
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2376-6719
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.16
AB  - The origin of the Greek alphabet has been a longstanding topic of academic inquiry and debate. Advocates of the Phoenician hypothesis posit that, due to the absence of Greek inscriptions between the 12th and 8th centuries BCE, the Greeks likely adopted the Phoenician abjad—a writing system comprising only 22 consonantal characters—and later modified it to suit their linguistic needs. However, the scarcity of surviving Greek inscriptions from this era does not definitively prove the absence of a pre-existing Greek writing system. In contrast, Linear B, a script used by the Greeks between 1500 and 1200 BCE, provides evidence of an earlier Greek writing innovation. Greek scholars argue that ancient sources, credit Palamedes with the invention of sixteen of the twenty-four Greek letters during truces (autumn and winter) of the Trojan War 1227-1218 BCE. The author argues that Palamedes, along with skilled scribes proficient in Linear B and sage soldiers and people, analyzed its syllabic structure to create an alphanumerical system of twenty-seven consonants and vowels from Linear B. The Phoenician abjad, dating from 1050 to 950 BCE, comprises 22 consonantal letters, with vowels inferred—rather than explicitly written—from context, a characteristic that frequently leads to ambiguity. This article offers a concise overview of Linear B and explores the potential role of Palamedes and a committee of skilled individuals in the expansion of the Greek vowel system from five to seven vowels, the creation of seven diphthongs by a rule and the consonant system from 12+F consonants to 18+F, incorporating six double-pronounced consonants derived from five consonants, along with the inclusion of the letter sampi. Through these modifications, they ultimately established a system of 27 phonemes/letters, creating an integrated Greek alphanumerical counting system (e.g., Α = 1, Β = 2, …, F = 6, …, Ι = 10, …, Q = 90, Ρ = 100, Σ = 200, …, Ω = 800, and sampi = 900). Subsequently, the letters F, Q, and sampi were removed (as they were unused in the finally adopted alphabet), resulting in the emergence of the 24-letter Greek alphabet during the Troyan War (1227-1218 BCE). However, proponents of the Phoenician hypothesis have investigated the origins of the Greek alphabet without adequately considering the accounts provided by Liner B and ancient Greek scholars regarding its origin and development. This raises a critical question: Does such an approach facilitate genuine scientific discourse?
VL  - 13
IS  - 1
ER  - 

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