This is a list of the writing systems featured on Omniglot arranged by the continents where they originated
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America
See the names of the continents in various languages.
Writing systems: Abjads | Alphabets | Abugidas | Syllabaries | Semanto-phonetic scripts | Undeciphered scripts | Alternative scripts | Constructed scripts | Fictional scripts | Magical scripts | Index (A-Z) | Index (by direction) | Index (by language) | Index (by continent) | What is writing? | Types of writing system | Differences between writing and speech | Language and Writing Statistics | Languages
The earliest known writing system Africa is the Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic script, which dates back to about 3,400 BC.
Adinkra, ADLaM, Afaka, Ancient Berber, Ancient Egyptian (Demotic), Ancient Egyptian (Hieratic), Ancient Egyptian (Hieroglyphs), Bamum, Bassa (Vah), Borama / Gadabuursi, Coptic, Ditema, Ge'ez (Ethiopic), Kaddare, Kpelle, Loma, Mende, Meroïtic, Luo Lakeside Script, Mandombe, Medefaidrin, Mwangwego, N'Ko, North Arabian, Nwagụ Aneke, Odùduwà, Old Nubian, Phoenician, Punic, Somali (Osmanya), Tifinagh
[top]
It is thought that writing first developed in Sumeria (modern day southern Iraq) in the mid-3rd millenium BC. The earliest known writing in the Sumerian Cuneiform script dates back to about 3,500 BC. It is possible that a form of writing or proto-writing was used in China as early as 6,000 BC.
A-chik Tokbirim, Ahom, Aima, Akkadian Cuneiform, Arabic, Aramaic, Arleng, Avestan, Badlit, Bagatha, Balinese, Balti-A, Balti-B, Basahan, Batak, Baybayin, Bengali, Bhaiksuki, Bhujimol, Bilang-bilang, Bima, Brahmi, Buhid, Burmese Carian, Caucasian Albanian, Chữ-nôm, Chakma, Cham, Chinese, Chisoi, Chorasmian, Coorgi-Cox, Cuneiform, Dehong Dai / Tai Le, Devanagari, Dham Lipi, Xiao'erjing, Dhurwa, Dhankari, Dives Akuru, Dogra, Dunging Elamite, Eskayan, Evēla Akuru Fraser Gadaba, Galik, General Chinese, Gond, Goudu, Goykanadi, Grantha, Gujarati, Gunjala Gondi, Gupta, Gurmukhi Halbi Lipi, Hangeul (Korean), Hanifi, Hanuno'o, Hebrew, Hiragana (Japanese), Hittite, Ibalnan, Indus/Harappa script, Japanese, Jatapu, Jaunsari Takri, Javanese, Jebero, Jurchen, Kaida, Kaithi, Kadamba, Kamarupi, Kammara, Kanji (Japanese), Kannada, Kasem, Katakana (Japanese), Kawi, Kerinci, Kharosthi, Khatt-i-Badí’, Khema, Khe Prih, Khitan, Khmer, Khojki, Khudabadi, Kirat Rai, Kōchi, Kolam, Konda-Dora, Korean (Hangeul), Kotia, Koya, Kulitan, Kupia, Kurukh Banna, Kuuk Thaayorre, Lampung, Lanna, Lao, Lepcha, Lepontic, Limbu, Lontara/Makasar, Lota Ende, Luwian, Lycian, Lydian, Mahajani, Malayalam, Mali, Manchu, Mandaic, Manichaean, Manpuri / Meitei (Modern), Manpuri (Old), Masarm Gondi, Modi, Mon, Mongolian Horizontal Square Script, Mongolian, Mro, Mukha Dora, Multani, Mundari Bani, Naasioi Otomaung, Nabataean, Nandinagari, Naxi, New Tai Lue, Newa (Prachalit Nepal), Nüshu, Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong, Ol Onal, Odia, Oirat Clear Script, Ol Chiki (Ol Cemet' / Santali), Old Elamite, Old Persian Cuneiform, Old Turkic (Orkhon / Yenisei), Pahawh Hmong, Pahlavi, Paleo-Hebrew, Pallava, Parthian, Pau Cin Hau, Phags-pa, Phrygian, Pollard script, Proto-Elamite, Proto-Sinaitic / Proto-Canaanite, Psalter, Purva Licchavi Qiang / Rma, Rana, Ranjana, Rejang (Kaganga), Sabaean, Samaritan, Sasak, Satera Jontal, Saurashtra, Savara, Shan, Sharda, Siddham, Sinhala, Sogdian, Sorang Sompeng, South Arabian, Soyombo, Sugali, Sui, Sukhothai, Sumerian Cuneiform, Sundanese, Sunuwar, Syloti Nagri, Syriac, Tagbanwa, Tai Viet, Takri, Tamil, Tammari, Tanchangya (Ka-Pat), Tangsa, Tangut (Hsihsia), Telugu, Thaana, Thai, Thai alphabet for Sanskrit, Tibetan, Tigalari, Tikamuli, Tirhuta, Tocharian, Todhri, Tolong Siki, Toto, Ugaritic, (Old) Uyghur, Vai, Vatteluttu, Warang Citi, Xibe, Xixia (Tangut), Yenisei (Old Turkic), Yerukula, Yezidi, Yi, Yi Jing Hexagrams, Yugtun Zaghawa, Zhuang (話僮 / Sawndip), Zhùyīn Fúhào (Bopomofo), Zoulai
[top]
Writing has been used in Europe since at least 1,800 BC (Linear A), and possibly long before then - the Old European or Danube script is a form of writing, proto-writing or record keeping that was used from about 4,500 BC.
Anglo-Saxon Runes (Futhorc), Archaic Latin, Armenian, Beitha Kukju, Braille, Carolingian Minuscule, Carpathian Basin Rovas, Celtiberian, Classical Latin alphabet, Coelbren y Beirdd (Welsh Bardic alphabet), Cypriot Syllabary, Cyrillic Dalecarlian runes, Dialectal Paleotype, Elbasan, Elder Futhark, Elfdalian, Etruscan, Faliscan, Fraktur, Gaelic script, Georgian (Asomtavruli), Georgian (Mkhedruli), Georgian (Nuskhuri), Glagolitic, Gothic, Greek, Iberian, Irish (Uncial), Initial Teaching Alphabet (I.T.A.), International Phonetic Alphabet, Khazarian Rovas, Latin, Linear A, Linear B, Medieval (Latinised) Futhark, Merovingian, Maritime Signal Flags, Marsiliana, Messapic, Moon, Morisco (Aljamiado), North Picene, Ogham, Old Church Slavonic, Old English, Old Italic, Old Permic, Oscan, Phaistos Disc script, Quikscript/Read Alphabet, Roman Cursive, Runic, Rustic Capitals, Semaphore, Shavian, Shorthand, Simpel-Fonetik, Solresol, South Picene, Sütterlin, Székely-Hungarian Rovás (Hungarian Runes), Umbrian, Vinča (Old European) script, Visible Speech, Visigothic Script, Welsh Braille, Younger Futhark
[top]
Writing possibly first appeared in North America among the Olmecs in Mexico in about 900 BC.
Benjamin Franklin's Phonetic Alphabet, Blackfoot, Blissymbolics, Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics, Carrier, Cherokee, Chinuk pipa, Cree, Deseret, Global Alphabet, Hočąk, Inuktitut, Mayan, Morse code, Ojibwe, Osage, Sutton SignWriting
[top]
The oldest known writing system in Oceania is possibly the Rongo Rongo script of Easter Island (Rapa Nui), which may date back to the 13th century AD.
Avoiuli, Caroline Island (Woleai) Script, Rongo Rongo
[top]
There are no known writing systems that developed in South America. The quipu were a system of recording keeping made up of knotted chords used by the Incas in the Andes which possibly were used to represent language as well.
More information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quipu
[top]
Writing systems: Abjads | Alphabets | Abugidas | Syllabaries | Semanto-phonetic scripts | Undeciphered scripts | Alternative scripts | Constructed scripts | Fictional scripts | Magical scripts | Index (A-Z) | Index (by direction) | Index (by language) | Index (by continent) | What is writing? | Types of writing system | Differences between writing and speech | Language and Writing Statistics | Languages
Page created: 06.03.2023. Last modified: 13.10.24
[top]
You can support this site by Buying Me A Coffee, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know.
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.
Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com
[top]
