How Vietnam Got Its Latin Script
The Vietnamese alphabet, Quốc Ngữ, presents a fascinating paradox with its Latin letters used for a tonal, Austroasiatic language. Originally created by 17th-century Catholic missionaries to spread their faith, the…
Tag: literacy
The Making of a Nation’s Voice: How Italy Chose Its Language
When Italy became a nation in 1861, a famous statesman declared, "We have made Italy. Now we must make Italians." A crucial part of that project was language, as less…
Turkey’s Alphabet Revolution
Explore one of history's most radical linguistic reforms: Turkey's 1928 Alphabet Revolution. At the direction of Atatürk, the nation abandoned the centuries-old Arabic script for a new Latin-based alphabet in…
The Alphabet of a Revolution: How N’Ko Is Uniting West Africa’s Languages
While many alphabets are ancient, the N'Ko script was born in 1949 from one man's defiant response to colonial prejudice. Created by Solomana Kante, this ingenious alphabet is perfectly tailored…
The Code of Touch: How Louis Braille’s Fingers Forged a Universal Language for the Blind
Discover the genius of Braille, a revolutionary writing system born from a French teenager's ingenuity. We explore how its simple six-dot cell unlocked literacy for millions, transcending language and culture…
Exploring the Origins of the Korean Alphabet: Hangul
Hangul, the writing system of the Korean language, boasts a unique, rich, and significant historical pedigree that sets it apart from other writing systems around...
From Quills to Keyboards: The Evolution of English Writing
Our story begins in a time much different from our own; a period when English writing was a privilege of the educated and the clergy,...