--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For example, missionary linguists are…" description: "\"“For example, missionary linguists are working on modified Roman alphabets for hundreds of New Guinea and Native American languages. Government linguis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/jared-diamond-2519_modified-cyrillic_for-example-missionary-linguists-are-wor_2493787.png" --- # For example, missionary linguists are working on modified… ![“For example, missionary linguists are working on modified Roman alphabets for hundreds of New Guinea and Native American languages. Government linguists devised the modified Roman alphabet adopted in 1928 by Turkey for writing Turkish, as well as the modified Cyrillic alphabets designed for many…” quote by Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/jared-diamond-2519_modified-cyrillic_for-example-missionary-linguists-are-wor_2493787.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/jared-diamond-2519_modified-cyrillic_for-example-missionary-linguists-are-wor_2493787.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/jared-diamond-2519_modified-cyrillic_for-example-missionary-linguists-are-wor_2493787.png) > ““For example, missionary linguists are working on modified Roman alphabets for hundreds of New Guinea and Native American languages. Government linguists devised the modified Roman alphabet adopted in 1928 by Turkey for writing Turkish, as well as the modified Cyrillic alphabets designed for many tribal languages of Russia. In a few cases, we also know something about the individuals who designed writing systems by blueprint copying in the remote past. For instance, the Cyrillic alphabet itself (the one still used today in Russia) is descended from an adaptation of Greek and Hebrew letters devised by Saint Cyril, a Greek missionary to the Slavs in the ninth century A.D. The first preserved texts for any Germanic language (the language family that includes English) are in the Gothic alphabet created by Bishop Ulfilas, a missionary living with the Visigoths in what is now Bulgaria in the fourth century A.D. Like Saint Cyril’s invention, Ulfilas’s alphabet was a mishmash of letters borrowed from different sources: about 20 Greek letters, about five Roman letters, and two letters either taken from the runic alphabet or invented by Ulfilas himself. Much”” [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing systems often blend existing scripts, showing cultural exchange and adaptation in language development. **In simple terms:** Alphabets mix letters from many sources. Key Takeaway Study script histories to understand cultural links. Themes language culture history innovation exchange Mood analytical curious Type historical educational When to use this quote - anthropology research - language preservation - education policy - digital encoding - intercultural communication Key Concepts script adaptation cultural diffusion missionary influence Questions to Reflect On - How do borrowed letters affect language identity? - What role do scripts play in cultural preservation? A Different Perspective Modern scripts may limit minority language vitality if not supported. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alphabet Invented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alphabet-invented-992777/) [Cyrillic Alphabet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cyrillic-alphabet-992778/) [Cyrillic Alphabets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cyrillic-alphabets-992775/) [Modified Cyrillic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modified-cyrillic-992774/) [Roman Alphabets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roman-alphabets-992776/) ## Related quotes > [Visitors who come from the Soviet Union and tell you how marvelous it is to be able to look at public buildings without advertisements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/visitors-who-come-from-the-soviet-union-and-tell-you-how-marvelous-it/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The alphabet was invented in Iraq, so it's a cool place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-vaughn/the-alphabet-was-invented-in-iraq-so-it-s-a-cool-place/) [Baron Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-vaughn/) > [“The writing system at the opposite extreme took the longest to emerge: the alphabet, one symbol for one minimal sound. 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For instance, the Cyrillic alphabet itself (the one still used today in Russia) is descended from an adaptation of Greek and Hebrew letters devised by Saint Cyril, a Greek missionary to the Slavs in the ninth century A.D. The first preserved texts for any Germanic language (the language family that includes English) are in the Gothic alphabet created by Bishop Ulfilas, a missionary living with the Visigoths in what is now Bulgaria in the fourth century A.D. Like Saint Cyril’s invention, Ulfilas’s alphabet was a mishmash of letters borrowed from different sources: about 20 Greek letters, about five Roman letters, and two letters either taken from the runic alphabet or invented by Ulfilas himself. 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