Evolution of English Alphabet – E

E is the fifth letter of the alphabet in English and most other languages. It came through Latin, from the Greek letter ‘epsilon’.

The original version of the letter was probably an ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic sign, a picture of a man shouting.

In about 1000 B.C., the Phoenicians used the sign in their alphabet as the letter ‘H’. It was a simpler shape.

Later, the Greeks used the sign for their letter ‘E’. The Romans took it over unchanged for their alphabet. In their cursive writing, it soon took on the rounded shape, the small ‘e’ today.

E is the most commonly used letter in English. It may be pronounced short or long or even left silent.