A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 01

Voltaire begins with A—and finds superstition in a single letter. Could the alphabet’s grand, mysterious origins be nothing more than human guesswork?

In 1764, Voltaire’s alphabetical dictionary takes up the big questions through small, familiar words. Its opening entry ranges from Egyptian symbols and Phoenician traders to children’s first cries, with the author’s dry wit turning the history of letters into a challenge to old certainties. Behind the joke is a serious puzzle: did humanity ever share a primitive language, or did speech grow in many places, by many paths? Voltaire invites readers to question what tradition presents as settled—and to follow the alphabet wherever his questions lead. Where, if anywhere, did language begin?

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