Final answer:
The Phoenician alphabet, developed around 1100 BCE, used symbols that represented consonant sounds and was adopted and adapted by the Greeks to include vowels. This alphabet is the ancestor of most modern European writing systems, including the Latin alphabet, which influenced English and other European languages. The correct answer is option c.
Step-by-step explanation:
The alphabet developed by the Phoenicians was influential in forming the basis of the Greek writing system and later influencing the Roman alphabet. The Phoenician alphabet, crafted around 1100 BCE from a Canaanite precursor, was syllabic and used symbols to represent consonantal sounds. This innovation greatly facilitated literacy among merchants and traders, liberating it from the hands of a specialized scribal class. The system’s efficiency in record-keeping is believed to have bolstered Phoenician mercantile success.
The Greeks, through contact with the Phoenicians during trade exchanges, not only adopted but also adapted the Phoenician alphabet by adding vowels. This modified alphabet made it possible for them to document their language — enabling the recording of literature, poetry, and drama from around 800 - 750 BCE. It laid the foundation for what would evolve into the Latin alphabet, heavily influencing European languages such as English.
The Phoenicians' civilization, often called the "Purple People" for their famed purple textiles, extended their influence through maritime activities, trade, and notably, their writing system. The Phoenician alphabet’s descendants are the alphabets in use across European languages today, including the English language, whose term ‘phonetic’ is rooted in 'Phoenician'. Thus, the correct option for the alphabet developed by the Phoenicians is option c) Phoenician.