Page:The Aryan Origin of the Alphabet.djvu/18

8 of the Syrian province of Phœnicia. "Phœnician alphabet" is restricted to the late retrograde Phœnician of twenty-two reversed letters, and excludes the earlier Cadmean Phœnician of which type the Early Egyptian alphabetic signs and letters almost exclusively consist. While denying the Phœnician origin of the alphabet, he, nevertheless, concludes that it rose "in North Syria," that is an area including, as shown in the detailed accompanying map, a considerable portion of the Province of Phœnicia and old Phœnician cities. And the statement that a child draws signs before it draws pictures is not in keeping with the general opinion, which credits the child with trying to draw pictures, however imperfectly it may succeed.

Commenting on Professor Petrie's theory Mr Clodd, in his excellent booklet on the Alphabet, considers "the question cannot be regarded as definitely settled; mayhap settlement may never be reached."