Alphabetist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual proficient in recognizing, using, or studying alphabets and writing systems
2. Someone knowledgeable about the letters and symbols that form alphabets and how they function in writing
3. A person who specializes in or understands the structure and use of alphabets and related scripts

Etymology: "Alphabet" comes from Late Latin "alphabetum," from Greek "alphabetos," formed from "alpha" and "beta," the first two letters of the Greek alphabet. Those letter names go back to the Phoenician "aleph" and "beth," which meant "ox" and "house," and the letters originally stood for those objects in a picture-based script. The ending "-ist" is a suffix that marks a person who practices, studies or specializes in something, as in "linguist" or "typist." Added to "alphabet," it gives a label for someone who specializes in the letters themselves and how they work in writing. It is a rare, transparent formation, so its meaning comes directly from its two parts.