Esinye seziqophamlando esibalulekile endabeni yempucuko yabantu ukuthuthukisa uhlelo lokubhala olusekelwe kuzimpawu ezimele imisindo yolimi. Izimpawu ezinjalo zibizwa ngokuthi ama-alfabhethi. Uhlelo lokubhala ngama-alfabhethi lusebenzisa inombolo elinganiselwe yezimpawu futhi lusekelwe ebudlelwaneni obubikezelwe phakathi kwemisindo nezimpawu. Njengamanje, ukubhala ngama-alfabhethi kuthathwa ngokuthi kwaqalwa ngo-1800 BCE kususelwa embikweni wango-2022 wokutholakala kwekamu le-Ivory eTel Lachish elibhalwe umusho obhalwe ngolimi lwaseKhanani. Kodwa-ke, kusikiselwa ukuthi imibhalo emigqonyeni yobumba emincane yango-2400 BCE eyavubukulwa e-Umm el-Marra eSiriya ngo-2004 iyizimpawu ezimelela imisindo yolimi. Kodwa imibhalo ayikwazanga ukuhunyushwa nokho yingakho incazelo yeqiniso ayikaziwa. Umbuzo wokuthi ingabe ubufakazi bakudala bokubhalwa kwezinhlamvu zangonyaka ka-2400 BCE uzoxazululwa ngendlela egculisayo lapho izincazelo zemibhalo ekulawa ma-artifact zembulwa kunoma isiphi isifundo esizayo.
Ama-Homo sapiens ahlukile embusweni ophilayo ekubeni aguqule imisipha ye-oro-face eguquguqukayo ukuze akhiqize imisindo ehlelekile efanele ukuxhumana nabanye imicabango nemibono. Izilimi (okungukuthi, izinhlelo ezihlelekile zokuxhumana) zathuthukiswa phezu kwesisekelo sokuxhumana ngomlomo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uhlelo lokubhala lwaba kusetshenziswa izimpawu nemithetho ukuze kuhlanganiswe izici zezilimi ezikhulunywayo. Njengokumelwa okubekezelelana kolimi olukhulunywayo, ukubhala kusiza ukugcinwa nokudluliselwa kolwazi futhi kwadlala indima ebalulekile ekukhuleni kwempucuko.
Izindlela zokuqala zokubhala ezifana neSumerian (3400 BC -1 AD), EGibhithe I-Hieroglyphics (3200 BC - 400 AD), Akkadian (2500 BC), Eblaite (2400 BC - 550 BC), kanye Indus Valley (2600 BC -1900 BC) basebenzise izithombe-zithombe (izithombe zokuveza amagama noma imibono), i-ideographs (izinhlamvu ezinjengezinhlamvu zesiShayina), nama-logographs (izimpawu noma izinhlamvu ezimelela igama noma ibinzana) njengezimpawu zokufaka ikhodi yezilimi ezikhulunywayo. Izimiso zokubhala zezinye izilimi zesimanje njengesiShayina, isiJapane, nesiKorea nazo zingena kulesi sigaba. Uphawu ngalunye lombhalo wekhodi lumelela into eyodwa, umqondo owodwa, noma igama elilodwa noma ibinzana. Ngakho-ke, lezi zinhlelo zokubhala zidinga inombolo enkulu yezimpawu. Isibonelo, uhlelo lokubhala lwesiShayina lunezimpawu ezingaphezu kuka-50,000 ukumela amagama nezincazelo ngolimi lwesiShayina. Ngokwemvelo, ukufunda izinhlelo ezinjalo zokubhala akulula.
Esinye seziqophamlando esibalulekile endabeni yempucuko yabantu ukuthuthukisa uhlelo lokubhala olusekelwe kuzimpawu ezimele imisindo yolimi. Izimpawu ezinjalo zibizwa ngokuthi ama-alfabhethi. Ezinhlelweni zokubhala ngama-alfabhethi njengasesiNgisini, izimpawu (noma izinhlamvu zamagama) ezingama-26 namaphethini azo amele imisindo yolimi lwesiNgisi.
Uhlelo lokubhala ngama-alfabhethi lusebenzisa inombolo elinganiselwe yezimpawu futhi lusekelwe ebudlelwaneni obubikezelwe phakathi kwemisindo nezimpawu. Kulula kunemibhalo engasebenzisi ama-alfabhethi ukufunda futhi kunikeza amathuba angapheli okuxhumana kalula nangokunemba okwengeziwe. Ukusungulwa kwezinhlamvu zamagama kwasho ukusakazeka kalula kolwazi nemibono. Kwavula umnyango wokufunda futhi kwenza abantu abaningi bakwazi ukufunda nokubhala futhi bahlanganyele kwezohwebo nezentengiselwano, ukubusa kanye nemisebenzi yamasiko ngempumelelo. Asikwazi ukucabanga impucuko yesimanje ngaphandle kwesistimu yokubhala ngama-alfabhethi ehlala isebenza kakhulu kunangaphambili.
Kodwa asungulwa nini ama-alfabhethi? Yibuphi ubufakazi bokuqala besistimu yokubhala ngama-alfabhethi?
I-limestone flake ebhalwe uhlu lwamagama aseGibhithe lasendulo yabikwa ngo-2015. Yatholakala ethuneni lasendulo laseGibhithe eduze kwaseLuxor. Amagama akulo mbhalo ahlelwe ngokwemisindo yawo yokuqala. Lolu hlelo lokusebenza lwakhiwe ngo-15th ekhulwini leminyaka BC futhi kwakucatshangwa ukuthi kuwubufakazi obudala kakhulu bokubhala ngama-alfabhethi.
Kodwa-ke, isimo sashintsha ngombiko wango-2022 wokutholwa kwe-artifact endala. Ikamu lendlovu elibhalwe umusho obhalwe ngolimi lwaseKhanani elatholwa eTel Lakishi linezinhlamvu eziyi-17 ezisuka esigabeni sokuqala sokusungulwa kwezinhlamvu zezinhlamvu ezakha amagama ayisikhombisa. Leli khekhe lendlovu latholakala lisukela ku-1700 BC. Ngokusekelwe kulokhu kuqomisana, kuphakanyiswa ukuthi izinhlamvu zamagama zasungulwa cishe ngo-1800 BCE. Kodwa kunokuningi endabeni yemvelaphi yesistimu yokubhala ngama-alfabhethi.
Ngo-2004, izinto ezine ezine-cylindrical ezenziwe ngobumba ezingaba ngu-4 cm ubude zatholwa lapho kumbiwa e-Umm el-Marra eSyria. Ama-artefacts atholakala ezingxenyeni ze-Early Bronze Age, ezisukela ku-2300 BCE. Ukuthandana kwekhabhoni kuqinisekisile ukuthi basuka ku-2400 BCE. Izinto eziyisilinda zinezimpawu eziqinisekisiwe ukuthi ziyimibhalo kodwa ngokusobala aziyona i-logo-syllabic cuneiform. Imibhalo inokufana okuthile nama-hieroglyphs aseGibhithe kodwa ibonakala ifana nokubhala kwezinhlamvu zamaSemite.
Umcwaningi usanda kuphakamisa ukuthi izimpawu ezisezigqokweni zobumba ziyizimpawu ezimele imisindo ehambisana no-a, i, k, l, n, s kanye no-y. Nokho, imibhalo ayikahunyushwa okwamanje yingakho incazelo yeqiniso ingaziwa.
Umbuzo wokuthi ubufakazi bokuqala bokubhalwa kwezinhlamvu zakwa-2400 BCE uzoxazululwa ngendlela egculisayo uma izincazelo zemibhalo esemigqonyeni yobumba etholakala endaweni yase-Umm el-Marra ngo-2004 zembulwa kunoma yiluphi ucwaningo oluzayo.
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References:
- Leiden University. Izindaba - Uhlu lwamagama olwaziwayo lwe-alfabhethi olutholiwe. Kuthunyelwe mhlaka 05 November 2015. Itholakala ku https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2015/11/earliest-known-alphabetic-word-list-discovered
- I-Hebrew University. Umusho Wokuqala Owake Wabhalwa Ngolimi LwaseKhanani Watholwa ETel Lakishi: IsiHebheru U. Unearths Ivory Comb kusukela ngo-1700 BCE Ubhalwe Ngokunxusa Ukuqeda Izintwala—“Sengathi leli [lendlovu] lingasiphula izintwala zoboya nentshebe”. Kuthunyelwe ngomhla ka-13 Novemba 2022. Itholakala e- https://en.huji.ac.il/news/first-sentence-ever-written-canaanite-language-discovered-tel-lachish-hebrew-u
- I-Vainstub, D., 2022. Isifiso SaseKhanani Sokuqeda Izintwala Ekhekhebeni Lendlovu Yendlovu Eqoshwe Ngaphansi KwaseLakishi. Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology, 2022; 2:76 DOI: https://doi.org/10.52486/01.00002.4
- Johns Hopkins University. Izindaba -Ukubhala ngama-alfabhethi kungenzeka ukuthi kwaqala eminyakeni engu-500 ngaphambili kunokuba bekukholelwa. Kuthunyelwe ngomhla ka-13 Julayi 2021.Itholakala ngo- https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/07/13/alphabetic-writing-500-years-earlier-glenn-schwartz/
- Johns Hopkins University. Izindaba - Ubufakazi bokubhalwa kwezinhlamvu zakudala okwaziwayo kwembulwa edolobheni lasendulo laseSyria. Kuthunyelwe ngomhla ka-21 Novemba 2024. Itholakala e- https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/11/21/ancient-alphabet-discovered-syria/
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