'2 million years of speaking, 6,000 years of writing': Mystery of 26-letter alphabet

By tracing the development of the 26 letters that make up the present alphabet from the Semitic proto-alphabet to the writing systems used in the Middle East, Europe, northern Africa, and Pakistan, McWhorter hopes to shed light on their origins. 

McWhorter strives to make the larger-than-life history of language as fun as it is fascinating with his trademark humor and conversational approach.

'Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet'

The Columbia University linguist wants to investigate how writing was created and the causes that contributed to the 26 letters of the modern alphabet in this series.

He explores important issues in language and writing that many people would not have thought about, like the origins of punctuation and the reasons why some letters have particular appearances.

The beginning of the alphabet can be traced to the 2nd millennium BCE Levantine consonantal writing system for Semitic languages. 

From the Semitic proto-alphabet created in Ancient Egypt to the various writing systems used around the world, McWhorter traces the movements and evolutions that shaped the writing we use today. 

Viewers will be able to view language in a completely new manner through his investigation, one that connects us in ways we might not have previously understood.

Dr. John McWhorter is considered an authority in language and linguistics and the author of more than 20 books. 

He holds the position of Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and is well-known for his Lexicon Valley podcast and a weekly column in The New York Times. 

In his next series, Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet, McWhorter seeks to make the history of language and the alphabet as fun as it is educational. He does this by using his signature humor and conversational manner, as noted in the press release.