# Egyptian-derived syllabary, ancestor of the alphabet (Hoch, Colless)

> Still possible: The Byblos signs were adapted from Egyptian hieroglyphic and hieratic signs, in particular the uniconsonantal signs, and the syllabary…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/byblos-syllabary/answers/ANS0DEDT0YB9TS7/egyptian-derived-syllabary-ancestor-of-the-alphabet-hoch  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Byblos syllabary](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/byblos-syllabary)[Where did the Byblos signs come from, and is the script related to the Proto-Sinaitic and Phoenician alphabets?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/byblos-syllabary/questions/QST0DEDQQBGYEW6/where-did-the-byblos-signs-come-from-and-is-the-script)Answer

Answer · Byblos syllabary

# Egyptian-derived syllabary, ancestor of the alphabet (Hoch, Colless)

The Byblos signs were adapted from Egyptian hieroglyphic and hieratic signs, in particular the uniconsonantal signs, and the syllabary was in turn an ancestor of the Proto-Sinaitic and Phoenician alphabets.

**Still possible** Answers **1** question0

## Where it stands

**Still possible** One piece of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Each frequent Byblos sign has a specific Egyptian parent whose consonant predicts the sign's consonant, and those predictions agree with the seal values.
- The signs shared with Phoenician letters occur in the Byblos texts with the consonants the letters later carry.

## What would rule it out

- Seal-anchored values contradicting the consonants predicted from the Egyptian parents.
- An Iron Age date for the script, which would make the resemblances to letters imitation.

## Evidence 1 for · 1 against

[Eight of the twelve most frequent Byblos sign types lie within a small graphical distance of an Egyptian…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/byblos-syllabary/evidence/EVD0DEDVN022MA5/eight-of-the-twelve-most-frequent-byblos-sign-types-lie)

Suggestive

FOR

[The intermediates between the Byblos syllabary and the linear alphabets are few and obscure, and the proto-alphabet is…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/byblos-syllabary/evidence/EVD0DEDVN83FCDR/the-intermediates-between-the-byblos-syllabary-and-the)

Suggestive

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[Where did the Byblos signs come from, and is the script related to the Proto-Sinaitic and Phoenician alphabets?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/byblos-syllabary/questions/QST0DEDQQBGYEW6/where-did-the-byblos-signs-come-from-and-is-the-script)

Open2 answers, none ahead

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). Egyptian-derived syllabary, ancestor of the alphabet (Hoch, Colless) [Answer ANS0DEDT0YB9TS7]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0DEDT0YB9TS7
```

Key

**ANS** 0DEDT0YB9TS7

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Proposed

[Session 1](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/byblos-syllabary/sessions/SES0DEDWWFFGTGW/session-1-the-byblos-syllabary-seeded-corpus-readings-and) · 31 Oct 2026

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