Humans have been writing in abbreviated ways as long as writing has existed. In the 19th century, Isaac Pitman developed – and marketed – a system of shorthand that became widely adopted.

Research:

• Baker, Alfred. “The Life of Sir Isaac Pitman.” London. Pitman. 1919. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/centenlifeofsiri00bakeuoft/page/34/mode/2up
• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Sir Isaac Pitman". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Jan. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-Pitman
• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Pitman shorthand". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Apr. 2016, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pitman-shorthand
• Miller, Genesie. “A Brief on Shorthand.” Utah Division of Archives and Records. April 11, 2023. https://archives.utah.gov/2023/04/11/a-brief-on-shorthand/
• “Sir Isaac Pitman.” The Vegetarian. 1895. https://archive.org/details/vegetarianmonthl00unse_0/page/122/mode/2up?q=sir+isaac
• Pitman, Benn. “Sir Isaac Pitman, His Life and Labors.” Cincinnati. C.J. Krehbiel. 1902. https://archive.org/details/sirisaacpitmanhi00pitmuoft/page/48/mode/2up
• Pitman, Isaac. “Phonotypic Journal, for the Year 1845.” Vol. 4. Phonographic Institution. 1845. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=K-gOAQAAIAAJ&pg=GBS.PP7&hl=en
• Russon, Allien R.. "shorthand". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/shorthand
• Triggs, T.  (2009, October 08). Pitman, Sir Isaac (1813–1897), deviser of a system of shorthand writing. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-22322