††††The Phoenicians, originally from the Syrian coast, developed the first recognizable alphabet. It consisted of 22 signs, with each representing a consonant. This was later adapted by the Greeks and the Israelites.
The Greek alphabet was in turn altered by the Etruscans. The resulting signs became the basis for the Roman alphabet, which subsequently spread all over Western Europe. Migration and printing eventually helped the Roman alphabet to spread across many parts of the globe.
About 50 different alphabets are used in the world today.
