Why the English Adopted the Latin Alphabet

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In summary, the English adopted the Latin alphabet because Christian missionaries thought it was a better representation of the language. The Great Vowel Shift caused the English alphabet to no longer match word pronunciation, but by then enough people were literate that it wasn't practical to change letter values.
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Päällikkö
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This is probably a silly question, but I was wondering why the English ever took on the Latin alphabet. Clearly, it is a very poor representation of the language. Let me elaborate: They have spelling bees. That is to say, the writing is more or less arbitrary: you can spell the same word different ways and even pronounce a written word in several ways. Take the word "wind" as an example, where "i" is vocalized in different ways depending on the context. This is not the case in several languages, I dare say.

A quick search on Wikipedia revealed that the adoption of the Latin alphabet was due to Christian missionaries. Therefore my real question is that was the preceding alphabet, the Anglo-Saxon runes, a more complete alphabet in the sense described above? If not, what are the essential sounds of speech of English, i.e. how would you design an alphabet for the English language?

EDIT: Right after I posted, I noticed that the same discussion had taken place only couple of months ago. I apologize, for I cannot delete this thread.
 
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This is not so much the problem with the alphabet as the problem with the representation of that language using the alphabet. No one wants to learn a whole new set of symbols, especially when 90% of those symbols represent sounds that can be represented in some other universally accepted alphabet. For that reason, it is generally a good idea to reuse someone else's alphabet and either add symbols or agree on symbol combinations for sounds that aren't present in the source language (such as the two sounds denoted by 'th' in English - think 'that' and 'thing').
 
  • #3
Actually, when the early Christian missionaries came to England and began to supplant the Runic alphabet with the Latin one, the latter was a pretty good fit. If you read Chaucer's English, it's pretty phonetic. Then, throughout the 15th-17th centuries, the Great Vowel Shift (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_vowel_shift) took place, which radically altered the pronunciation of English vowels. This is largely what caused our alphabet to no longer match word pronunciation. By then, however, enough people were literate, and enough books were being printed, that it seemed impractical to change letter-values.

I must admit, though, that sometimes I wish we still had the Runic alphabet! :p
 

What is the history behind the English adoption of the Latin alphabet?

The Latin alphabet was originally developed by the ancient Romans around the 7th century BC. As the Roman Empire expanded, the use of the Latin alphabet spread throughout Europe, including to Britain. When the Roman Empire collapsed, the use of the Latin alphabet continued in many areas, including England, as it was already established as the dominant writing system.

Why did the English choose the Latin alphabet over other writing systems?

The Latin alphabet was already widely used in Europe and was familiar to the English through their interactions with the Roman Empire. Additionally, the Latin alphabet was relatively simple and easy to learn, making it more practical for everyday use compared to other complex writing systems.

Did the English have their own writing system before adopting the Latin alphabet?

Yes, the English had a writing system called the "Futhorc" which was derived from the runic alphabets used by Germanic tribes. However, it was not as widespread or as suitable for recording the complexities of the English language, leading to the eventual adoption of the Latin alphabet.

How did the Latin alphabet influence the development of the English language?

The Latin alphabet brought with it new letters and sounds that were not present in the Futhorc, which allowed for a more accurate representation of the English language. The adoption of the Latin alphabet also coincided with the introduction of Christianity to England, which brought many Latin words into the English language. This helped to expand and enrich the vocabulary of English.

Are there any significant differences between the Latin alphabet used in English and other languages?

While the Latin alphabet is used in many languages, there are some differences in the way it is pronounced and used in English compared to other languages. For example, English has a variety of silent letters and different pronunciations for certain letters and combinations of letters, which can be confusing for non-native speakers. However, the basic structure and 26 letters of the Latin alphabet remain the same in English and other languages.

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