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Ancient writing systems and how they work

Words Unravelled

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Learn about the Rosetta Stone, then learn a language using Rosetta Stone Sapphire, which gives you access to 25 languages in one membership, with plans starting at $15. Use our special link: https://partners.rosettastone.com/wor...

Rob and Jess are exploring the writing systems of the ancient world.

𓀀 How do hieroglyphs work?
✍️ When did writing first begin?
🫆 And how did we solve the mystery of Linear B?

For these answers, and many more, enjoy this gloriously outdated episode of Words Unravelled.

Also, check out Stefan Milo on the Phaistos disc: The Minoan tablet we still can't solve

And Rob's video about hieroglyphs: Hieroglyphs are easier than they look

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==LINKS==
Rob's YouTube channel: robwords
Jess' Useless Etymology blog: https://uselessetymology.com/
Rob on X: x.com/robwordsyt
Jess on TikTok: tiktok.com/@jesszafarris

#etymology #wordfacts #English

20 Comments

@WordsUnravelled Creator 2 days ago Pinned

Learn how the Rosetta Stone solved hieroglyphs... THEN learn a language using Rosetta Stone Sapphire! Use our special link, with 25 languages in one membership: https://partners.rosettastone.com/wordsunravelled-1

@neiloflongbeck5705 1 day ago (edited)

Rob was talking about mustard with relish.

@Darxide23 1 day ago

Guess I'm not going to bed yet.

@blueredbrick 1 day ago

Those multilanguage user manuals with tiny letters that come with electronic devices etc can be fun to read in a few languages I'm familiar with and then have a try at one that has a strang(to me) alphabet or very different words.. it feels like decifering a 'modern Rosetta Stone'

@thenorseguy 1 day ago

Hi from a ancient Norwegian 😂 I love watching you guys 🫶

@erinj9642 1 day ago

Coincidentally watched a British Museum video of Dr. Finkel talking about Cuneiform this morning.

@JiveDadson 1 day ago

Bertie Wooster fondly addressed his good aunt as "ancient relative."

@JasonAQuest 1 day ago

The predatory software company took its name from Adobe Creek, which ran behind the founder’s house and was named because it was a source of clay used in the building material.

@mirandarensberger6919 1 day ago

Max Miller recently did an episode on mustard, where he made mustard according to Roman, medieval French, and English recipes. They were indeed quite different.

@dragondawn420 21 hours ago (edited)

Hello from New Mexico, where there's adobe (mostly just adobe-style) buildings all over the place! Until this podcast, I had no idea the long trip "adobe" took from its origins, so thanks! Writing this from an adobe-style house in Albuquerque 😸

@michaelschlem2849 1 day ago

9-30-26
I like how the video talks about the real Rosetta Stone, and is sponsored by the translation software named after it.

@johnbennett1465 23 hours ago

I recently watched a video about cuneiform writing. It covered earlier systems of markings that developed into cuneiform. It talked about current debates about whether the earlier usage counted as a writing system or not.

@bfk1970 1 day ago

Would have loved a breakdown of Ea-Nasir and his rubbish copper.

@simsspeler175 1 day ago

Fun fact: cuneiform is called 'spijkerschrift' in Dutch. It literally means 'nail writing' which I as a Dutch speaker find far more easy to remember than the English name.

@Rancid-Jane 18 hours ago

Oh wow, the things I never knew. Very interesting video once again. Thank you.

@Rancid-Jane 1 day ago (edited)

0:54 Cool, Rob, I too happened to be wearing the Hard Core Thorn tee-shirt, whilst watching this video. Only mine is the light blue model.

@bodan1196 1 day ago

"The oxen are slow, but the earth is patient." (for no reason, just remembered it when I heard "oxen house")

@BiT.d-K 1 day ago

One of the things I find most fascinating about modern alphabets (especially the current iteration of the Latin sort) is how they developed from hieroglyphs and such into letters of varying shapes to become what we use today.