1. History and Evolution of Latin Script:
– Latin script, also known as Roman script, is widely used and recognized.
– The Latin alphabet spread with the expansion of the Roman Empire.
– Adoption of Latin script by various language groups during the Middle Ages and beyond.
– Latin script’s spread to different regions through European colonization.
– Notable transitions to Latin script in Romania, Turkey, post-Soviet countries, and other regions in the 20th and 21st centuries.
2. International and National Standards:
– ISO and ASCII standards defining the Latin alphabet and its extensions.
– Efforts to standardize the Latin alphabet for European languages through DIN and CEN standards.
– Adaptation of Latin script for new languages with additional letters and diacritics.
– Development of national standards for specific languages using the Latin alphabet.
3. Letters, Ligatures, and Diacritics in Latin Script:
– Inclusion of additional letters like wynn, thorn, and eth in Old English alphabet.
– Usage of ligatures like Æ, Œ, and ẞ in Latin script.
– Incorporation of diacritics to modify pronunciation in various languages.
– Unique letter forms and diacritics in languages like Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Kazakh.
4. Capitalization and Collation in Latin Script:
– Use of capital letters in Latin script for specific purposes like starting paragraphs and proper nouns.
– Historical variations in capitalization rules across different languages and time periods.
– Different treatment of modified letters and diacritics in collation within languages.
5. Romanization and Multilingual Communication:
– Importance of romanization for transliterating non-Latin script languages.
– Utilization of romanization in international communication, especially with ASCII limitations.
– Impact of Unicode in reducing the need for romanization.
– Keyboards restrictions and multilingual communication using Latin alphabet characters.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (October 2017) |
The Latin script, also known as the Roman script, is a writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greek city of Cumae in Magna Graecia. The Greek alphabet was altered by the Etruscans, and subsequently their alphabet was altered by the Ancient Romans. Several Latin-script alphabets exist, which differ in graphemes, collation and phonetic values from the classical Latin alphabet.
| Latin Roman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Script type | |
Time period | c. 700 BC – present |
| Direction | Left-to-right  |
| Languages | See List of Latin-script alphabets |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
Child systems |
|
Sister systems | |
| ISO 15924 | |
| ISO 15924 | Latn(215), Latin |
| Unicode | |
Unicode alias | Latin |
| See Latin characters in Unicode | |
The Latin script is the basis of the International Phonetic Alphabet, and the 26 most widespread letters are the letters contained in the ISO basic Latin alphabet, which are the same letters as the English alphabet.
Latin script is the basis for the largest number of alphabets of any writing system and is the most widely adopted writing system in the world. Latin script is used as the standard method of writing the languages of Western and Central Europe, most of sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, and Oceania, as well as many languages in other parts of the world.
