Nws yog qhov nyuaj rau xav txog ib tug neeg niaj hnub uas tsis nyeem thiab sau. Kev paub txog kev sau ntawv yog ib qho tseem ceeb uas lawv pib qhia nws hauv qib pib. Tab sis kev sau ntawv, ntawm qhov ntsuas ntawm lub neej ntawm noob neej, tau tshwm sim tsis ntev los no - kwv yees li 3200 BC.
Cov tsos ntawm kev sau ntawv yog ua ntej ntawm cov tsos ntawm kev hais lus. Thaum sawv ntxov ntawm kev tsim ntawm noob neej, kev hais lus tau yooj yim heev, cov lus txhais muaj cov ntsiab lus tsim nyog tshaj plaws. Raws li haiv neeg tau tsim kho, kev hais lus tau dhau los ua ntau, cov lus tau nce. Tib neeg tau nce ntau qhov kev paub, thaum cov lus nug ntawm lawv hloov mus rau lwm tiam tshiab tshwm sim ntau dua, tsis muaj kev sau ntawv, qhov no tsuas yog ua los ntawm kev sib kis ntawm qhov ncauj los ntawm xib fwb mus rau cov tub ntxhais kawm.
Cov ncauj ke rau qhov ncauj ntawm kev paub yog tsawg. Thaum lub sijhawm los txog thaum cov ntaub ntawv sau ntau zuj zus, ua rau kis tsis tau mus kis rau lwm tus. Nws yog qhov tsim nyog rau kev txhim kho qee qhov kev paub - yog li nws thiaj li raug pom tias tsis muaj tus neeg uas yog tus tswv. Raws li qhov tshwm sim, thawj yam kev hloov pauv ntawm kev sau ntawv tau pib tshwm sim hauv cov chaw sib txawv ntawm lub ntiaj teb. Thaum xub thawj, kev sau ntawv tsis cuam tshuam txog lub suab ntawm cov lus; nws tau cim tag nrho. Txhua lub cim qhia txog lub tswvyim tshwj xeeb. Yeej, cov cim zoo li no tau pom ntawm cov pob zeb, yog li hom ntawv sau no hu ua duab.
Cov theem tom ntej hauv kev txhim kho kev sau ntawv yog qhov tshwm sim ntawm kev sau logographic, nyob rau hauv uas cov cim tau teeb duab pom uas tau qhia lawv lub ntsiab lus. Qhov no yog ib yam dab tsi Sumerian sau ntawv. Lub sijhawm ntawd lawv sau rau ntawm cov pobzeb thiab av nplaum.
Txawm hais tias qhov kev sau logographic tau ua lub luag haujlwm tseem ceeb hauv keeb kwm ntawm noob neej, nws tseem nyob rau qhov tsis zoo tag nrho, tsis tso cai rau kev txaus siab qhov kev xav tau ntawm kev vam meej ntawm kev vam meej. Nws tau hloov los ntawm cov ntawv sau ntawm logographic-syllabic, uas qhov kev sau ntawv poob nws cov duab kos, ua ib qho kev sib txuas ntawm cov kab cuneiform.
Cov suab sau ntawv nyob ze peb tau tshwm sim ntawm qhov thib ob thiab thawj txhiab xyoo BC. Tsis zoo li cov kev sau ntawv yav dhau los, tus tshiab tswj hwm tsuas yog 20-30 cim. Cov tshuab sau ntawv niaj hnub no lw sau lawv cov keeb kwm rov qab los rau ntawm Phoenician lub suab sau ntawv.
Kev rov tshwm sim ntawm kev sau ntawv suab, uas ua rau nws muaj peev xwm xa cov suab ntawm cov lus, tau muab lub zog txhawb rau kev txhim kho ntawm tib neeg kev vam meej. Qhov xav tau ntawm qhov ncauj kis ntawm kev paub ploj, lub suab sau ntawv ua rau nws muaj peev xwm piav qhia txog kev paub hauv nws qhov tseeb thiab qhov tseeb, kho nws ua ntej ntawm cov av nplaum ntsiav tshuaj, tom qab ntawv ntawm parchment thiab papyrus, thiab txawm tias tom qab ntawv ntawv paub rau txhua tus. Yog tias txhua yam tuav rov qab qhov kev nthuav dav, nws yog qhov tsis muaj kev luam ntawv - txhua cov ntawv nyeem yuav tsum tau sau los ntawm txhais tes. Tab sis nrog kev tshwm sim ntawm phau ntawv luam ntawv, qhov khuam siab no tau raug tshem tawm.
Kev txhim kho ntawm Slavic sau ntawv yog txuam nrog cov npe ntawm cov kwv tij Constantine lub Philosopher (hauv monasticism - Cyril) thiab Methodius. Nws yog lawv leej twg tsim thawj tus tsiaj ntawv Slavic, uas tau muab lub hauv paus rau Slavic thiab, tom qab ntawv, sau ntawv Lavxias.
