Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing Why Q needs U and how hieroglyphics created our alphabet, with Danny Bate
Oct 16, 2025
Danny Bate, a linguist and author with a PhD in linguistics, unpacks fascinating insights about our alphabet's evolution. He discusses how Egyptian hieroglyphs transformed into symbols that represent sounds. Bate explains the acro principle, revealing that the letter A was once a consonant. He also explores boustrophedon writing and the curious journey of the letter K. Dive deep into why Q needs U and how historical influences shaped English spelling. Prepare to rethink the way you view letters and words!
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How The Alphabet Began
- The alphabet emerged when outsiders simplified Egyptian hieroglyphs into one symbol per sound using the acrophonic principle.
- That single conceptual leap turned pictorial signs into a flexible alphabet spreading around the Mediterranean.
A Was Once A Consonant
- The letter A began as an ox pictogram representing the West Semitic word 'alp' and originally stood for a glottal stop consonant.
- Over time its sound value shifted into the vowel 'A' we use today through language evolution and borrowing.
Writing Direction Varied Early On
- Early alphabetic writing showed flexible directions, including boustrophedon, writing back-and-forth like an ox plough.
- Directional choices varied across cultures and later standardized into right-to-left or left-to-right.
