The person who developed the alphabet

Characters were developing for a long time and branched off various systems.
But there are also some examples, only a person developed a new alphabet and
spread around the world in the world history.

Cherokee syllabary　-Sequoyah-

In an Indian who was a native in the American Continent, there was a folk called
Cherokee. They had already been organized as a folk, used original language Cherokee
language. But they did not use “an alphabet”. Cherokee known an alphabet, seemed to be
surprised. Sequoyah (1767~1843), one in the folk, decided to develop alphabet to write
down Cherokee early in nineteenth 19century. Sequoyah was unpopular with the people
around him very well because he was absorbed in his development and renounced his
work. But he developed Cherokee syllabary which is the first alphabet in the area. And
he walked the area where Cherokee lived to advertise the alphabet himself, moved the
convenience of the alphabet. Cherokee was embarrassed at first, but gradually assent to
him and received the alphabet. After that, Cherokee language spread in an instant and
became a public alphabet.

▲(left)Sequoyah. He seemed to have a handicap.
(right)Cherokee language

Sequoyah referred to each language textbooks when he developed the alphabet. The
reason why, we realize that the design for the alphabet imitate various form of other
alphabets.

Cree language - James Evans-

James Evans (1801~1846), he was a missionary in Canada, made an original
alphabet. He, was born in British and was good at foreign language, moved to
Canada in 1820. He participated in a Wesley mission in British which propagated in
Indian there. He learned to Ojibwe language used Indian, and published a translated
version of the Bible written Romaji to Ojibwe language. But this is a simple phonetic
equivalent and had a poor reputation very well. He is putting the education of Cree
Indian after then. But, he feared to be made a slave in a colony like this because Cree
did not develop the civilization not to bring an alphabet. Cree spoke Cree language,
but there were not any alphabets to keep up with. So he decided to develop an
alphabet of Cree. He referred to Devanagari language, set basic alphabet only nine to
learn alphabet easier for Indian and make thirty-six kinds of alphabets after that. In
1840, this was Cree language. He made a printing machine, paper to print, ink and a
mold himself, and published the books for Cree language. That is how Cree spread
on between Cree to Indian, and the activity in other missionaries told an Inuit.

▲Cree language Writing is simple.

Cree used between Indian was replaced later by Latin alphabet, but remains between
Inuit. Evans was banished for Canada to a scandal occurred frequently around him
and a resist Evans. He died from illness in a while after he went home. The reason
why, the results of Evans were criticized now.

 

Hangul alphabet　- Sejong the Great -

Before, the Hangul alphabet is made, in then Korea; a Chinese character, which is different from Korean’s language system, was used. But, the people who can understand this kanji is only a high official or the governing classes who can commute to school and be rich, the ordinary people could not even reading it, much less writing it. So, Sejong, the fourth ruler of Korea dynasty, gather the excellent scholars those days and made the Hangul alphabet to made an original alphabet easy for the ordinary people.

▲Sejong（1397-1450）

So, it was promulgated a large-scale on October 9 in 1446, the people could write Korean extremely. In those days, there was a name for the Hangul alphabet, it called “Hunminjeongeum”. But, the intellectuals told “Eonmun” and looked down it. When the Hangul alphabet received as a regular means to writing, it was several hundred since then the Hangul alphabet was widely used because the people was raised a folk consciousness in civilization.

Other characters a man invented

These are other exsamples.

●Gothic alphabet

Ulfilas, Goths, contrive to translate Gothic language into the Bible in about fourth century. He referred to the Greek alphabet or the Latin alphabet.

●Glagolitic alphabet

The brothers the East Roman Empire, Saint Cyril a mork and Methodius a bishop, contrive to translate the Slavic language into the Bible in mid-ninth century. They referred to the Greek alphabet. Afterward, pupils of Cyril made Cyrillic script to improve Glagolitic alphabet. Glagolitic alphabet in itself was not used little, but was used a few in the part of area Croatia until recent years.