The word ALPHABET is derived from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, ALPHA and BETA.

When it was first introduced into English, some purists, or nit-pickers, thought that the word should be used purely to describe the Greek version. The English version should be referred to as the ABC, or the abece. An abecedarian is a person who is learning the alphabet. As an adjective it describes something arranged in alphabetical order.

The Greek alphabet was developed over 2000 years ago and the modern Greek alphabet of 24 letters is very similar to it.

Derived from the Greek alphabet, the Roman or Latin alphabet is the one we know and love. Our modern alphabet is very similar to that used by the Ancient Romans, except for the addition of J, V and W.

Did you know that in the 15th century, children who were learning their letters and numbers carried a `hornbook’, often suspended from their belt?

It consisted of a thin wooden board on which the alphabet, the numbers and the Lord’s Prayer were printed. A thin sheet of clear horn protected the expensive vellum or paper.