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

Humans have been writing in abbreviated ways as long as writing has existed. In the 19th century, Isaac Pitman developed &ndash; and marketed &ndash; a system of shorthand that became widely adopted.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Baker, Alfred. &ldquo;The Life of Sir Isaac Pitman.&rdquo; London. Pitman. 1919. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/centenlifeofsiri00bakeuoft/page/34/mode/2up</li>
<li>Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Sir Isaac Pitman".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Jan. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-Pitman</li>
<li>Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Pitman shorthand".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Apr. 2016, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pitman-shorthand</li>
<li>Miller, Genesie. &ldquo;A Brief on Shorthand.&rdquo; Utah Division of Archives and Records. April 11, 2023. https://archives.utah.gov/2023/04/11/a-brief-on-shorthand/</li>
<li>&ldquo;Sir Isaac Pitman.&rdquo; The Vegetarian. 1895. https://archive.org/details/vegetarianmonthl00unse_0/page/122/mode/2up?q=sir+isaac</li>
<li>Pitman, Benn. &ldquo;Sir Isaac Pitman, His Life and Labors.&rdquo; Cincinnati. C.J. Krehbiel. 1902. https://archive.org/details/sirisaacpitmanhi00pitmuoft/page/48/mode/2up</li>
<li>Pitman, Isaac. &ldquo;Phonotypic Journal, for the Year 1845.&rdquo; Vol. 4. Phonographic Institution. 1845. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=K-gOAQAAIAAJ&amp;pg=GBS.PP7&amp;hl=en</li>
<li>Russon, Allien R.. "shorthand".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/shorthand</li>
<li>Triggs, T.&nbsp;&nbsp;(2009,&nbsp;October&nbsp;08). Pitman, Sir Isaac (1813&ndash;1897), deviser of a system of shorthand writing.&nbsp;Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-22322</li>
</ul>

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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.

Isaac Pitman’s Shorthand

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