The Phoenicians developed the Phoenician alphabet, also known as the Proto-Canaanite alphabet for writing. One theory is that it may have had its origins as an adaptation of the Egyptian hieroglyphs to the Canaanite language.
For communication and records.
In the Phoenician city-states.
The Phoenician trading ship spread their writing system around the Mediterranean Sea.
It was the first system of characters for phoenetic writing, on which Greek, Latin and modern European writing developed.
Phoenician writing, known as the Phoenician alphabet, was a simpler system composed of 22 consonants. In contrast, hieroglyphics were a complex system of pictorial symbols used in ancient Egypt and cuneiform was a wedge-shaped script used in Mesopotamia. Phoenician writing's innovation lay in using individual symbols to represent distinct sounds, making it easier to learn and more versatile for different languages.
The Phoenician Alphabet was a phonetic system with 22 letters that represent consonants. The Cuneiform system used pictographs to represent entire words and concepts, and had many thousands of characters.
They looked for a better means of written communication and record keeping than the existing hieroglyphs and syllabic writing systems.
The Phoenician writing system was advantageous for the Greeks to borrow because it was relatively simple and efficient, consisting of a limited number of characters that represented consonant sounds. This allowed for easier learning and adaptation compared to more complex writing systems. Additionally, the Phoenician system's flexibility facilitated the incorporation of vowels, which improved the accuracy of Greek phonetics, ultimately leading to the development of the Greek alphabet. This innovation significantly enhanced literacy and communication in ancient Greece.
Nobody knows, but their writing system was well-established by the year 1050 BCE.
The Greek alphabet which was derived from the Phoenician one.
The alphabetic writing system, copied by Greek, Roman and modern European languages.
The Phoenician alphabet improved upon the cuneiform writing system by simplifying the writing process through its use of a limited number of characters, representing individual sounds rather than complex symbols or ideograms. This phonetic approach made writing more accessible and efficient, allowing for quicker learning and greater literacy among the populace. Additionally, the linear nature of the Phoenician script facilitated easier inscription on various materials compared to the more cumbersome cuneiform tablets. Ultimately, the Phoenician alphabet laid the groundwork for many modern writing systems.