Latin Script

The Latin script (also called Latin) is a writing system in which each letter represents a sound or phoneme. It derives from the alphabet used by ancient Rome, which itself descended from the Greek script by way of Etruscan. Today it is the most widely used writing system for languages in the world.

The system is built on letters differentiated in two ways: uppercase letters (for example A, B, C) and lowercase letters (a, b, c). Many languages employ additional marks placed above or below letters, such as á, ñ, ç, ö, to indicate sounds not represented in the basic alphabet.

History

Latin script originated in central Italy in the middle of the first millennium before the Common Era. Early letters were capital forms carved in stone. Lowercase letters emerged gradually during the medieval period in Europe, developing alongside the practice of handwritten manuscripts. The spread of Christianity and the power of the Roman state carried the script throughout western Europe, while the invention of printing reinforced a standardized letterform.

Global Adoption

During the colonial period and afterwards, the Latin script reached the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Several states deliberately adopted or switched to it, replacing other scripts: Turkey changed from a modified Arabic script to Latin in 1928. Vietnam uses a Latin-based system with extensive diacritical marks. Later, various countries in Central Asia have adopted or planned to adopt Latin script.

Somali Language

Somali formally adopted Latin script in 1972. Somali writing does not use diacritical marks for letter modification; instead it relies on the basic letters, with long vowels represented by doubling identical letters (for example: aa, ee, ii, oo, uu). The letters C, X, and Q represent sounds specific to the language.

Modern Use

Mathematics, science, and computer systems rely heavily on Latin letters. The ASCII standard and subsequently Unicode have secured its position technologically, further expanding its use on the internet. It is also common for speakers of other languages to write their scripts in Latin letters (transliteration), particularly in mobile phone messaging.