The first topic in our Forensic Questioned Document series is “History and Development of Handwriting”. This MCQ set is a subpart of our Forensic Questioned Documents Series.

Attention Users: For systematic learning, please prefer to check the index page of the MCQs in Forensic Questioned Documents.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) on History And Development of Handwriting with Answers & Explanations

In this section of forensics questioned documents, we had listed down 19 Questioned Documents MCQs related to the History and development of handwriting along with their answers and explanations.

1. When and Who authored the first book on questioned documents?

  1. Frank Elder, 1905
  2. Albert S. Osborn, 1910
  3. Burrard, 1910
  4. Michael J. Allen, 1910

Answer: (2) Albert S. Osborn, 1910

Explanation:
-> In 1910, Albert S. Osborn authored the book Questioned Documents.
-> It is considered the first book in the field of forensic document analysis.

2. Who is known to be the father of questioned documents?

  1. Frank Elder
  2. Albert S. Osborn
  3. Burrard
  4. Michael J. Allen

Answer: (2) Albert S. Osborn

Explanation:
-> Albert S. Osborn is known to be the father of questioned documents.
-> Moreover, he was also the first president of the American Society of Questioned document examination.

3. The revised second edition of “Questioned documents” by Osborn was published in_________.

  1. 1919
  2. 1915
  3. 1925
  4. 1929

Answer: (4) 1929

Explanation:
The second edition of the “Questioned Documents” book by Osborn was published in 1929.

4. The term ‘petroglyphs’ is used for which type of questioned documents?

  1. Secret drawing
  2. Drawings on caves
  3. Drawings on sand slates
  4. Drawing on natural-colored palm leaves

Answer: (2) Drawings on caves

Explanation:
Petroglyphs or Petrograms are the images on rocks (here, cave wall) surface by incising, picking, and carving that are especially made by prehistoric peoples. 

5. Which of the following terms is used to describe a document with word pictures?

  1. Phonograph
  2. Phoenicians
  3. Petroglyphs
  4. Ideographs

Answer: (4) Ideographs

Explanation:
-> Ideograph is the term used to describe a document with word pictures.
-> These terms are commonly used by Sumerians, Chinese, Mayas, Egyptians, and Aztecs.

6. To define a special type Egyptian word pictures, which of the following is the right word?

  1. Phonographs
  2. Hieroglyphics
  3. Alpharobics
  4. Alphographs

Answer: (2) Hieroglyphics

Explanation:
-> Hieroglyphics are the word pictures that were first used by Egyptians.
-> These pictures usually have a combination of words that are aligned in rows and columns.

7. Phoenicians alphabets consist of how many letters?

  1. 20
  2. 22
  3. 24
  4. 26

Answer: (2) 22

Explanation:
-> Phoenicians were the ancient extinct Semitic-speaking people that use 22 alphabets to write.
-> They are known to be the ancestors of Greek and Roman alphabets. 

8. The Phoenician writings were written in which direction?

  1. From right to left
  2. From left to right
  3. From top to bottom
  4. From bottom to top

Answer: (1) From right to left

Explanation:
No explanation is required for this question.

9. The term ‘alphabet’ is coined from:

  1. Alpha and ample
  2. Alpha and betatron
  3. Alpha and beta
  4. Alpha and bethought

Answer: (3) Alpha and beta

Explanation:
The term alphabet is coined from two Greek words, which is also their first-two digit, alpha and beta.

10. Assertion (A): Greek adaptive the Phoenician alphabets and add vowels.
Explanation (E): Due to addition, the total adaptive Greek alphabets becomes 26.

  1. Both (A) and (E) are correct
  2. (A) is correct, but (E) is incorrect
  3. Both (A) and (E) are incorrect
  4. (A) is incorrect, but (E) is correct

Answer: (2) (A) is correct, but (E) is incorrect

Explanation:
After the addition of vowels to Phoenicians, the total number of greek alphabets becomes 24 (not 26).

11. Romans alphabet is derived from which of the following?

  1. Phoenicians
  2. Vaticanas
  3. Greeks
  4. Both (2) and (3)

Answer: (3) Greeks

Explanation:
-> Romans used Greek alphabets to give their own names.

12. English, Spanish, and French are derived from (indirectly):

  1. Greek
  2. Roman
  3. Spanish
  4. Portuguese

Answer: (2) Roman

Explanation:
English (America), Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), French are derived from Germanic peoples that are further derived from Roman.

13. Which of the following countries’ languages is derived from Cyrillic script?

  1. Greek
  2. Roman
  3. Vantianas
  4. Hebrew

Answer: (1) Greek

Explanation:
Countries such as Russia and Eastern Euroasians’ alphabet is derived from Greek, and these are called Cyrillic alphabets. 

14. Which of the following character scripts are written from right to left?

  1. Arabian
  2. Hebrew
  3. Cyprus
  4. Both (1) and (2)
  5. Both (1) and (3)

Answer: (4) Both (1) and (2)

Explanation:
Apart from Phoenician writings (extinct), Arabian and Hebrew scripts are written from right to left.

15. The term Burmese alphabet is used to describe the combination of which two scripts?

  1. Chinese and Hebrew
  2. Mongolia and Hebrew
  3. Sanskrit and Pali
  4. Sanskrit and Hebrew

Answer: (3) Sanskrit and Pali

Explanation:
-> The combination of Indian Sanskrit and Pali script is called Burmese.
-> They are the language scriptures of Buddhist (Sino-Tibetan).

16. The ‘kana’ scripts are used by?

  1. Korean
  2. Chinese
  3. Japanese
  4. Indonesia

Answer: (3) Japanese

Explanation:
-> Kana scripts are syllabaries for Japanese people.
-> It is derived from Chinese writing.

17. What are the most popular scripts of Japanese writing?

  1. Kana
  2. Hiragana
  3. Katakana
  4. All of the above

Answer: (4) All of the above

Explanation:
Kana, Hiragana, and Katakana are the popular scripts of Japan. And they are commonly called Kanamajiri. 

18. How many letters in Hawaiian alphabets? 

  1. 10
  2. 11
  3. 12
  4. 13

Answer: (3) 12

Explanation:
Hawaiian alphabet system has:
-> 12 letters including 7 consonants and 5 vowels.

19. First alphabet system was developed by?

  1. Phoenicians
  2. Greeks
  3. Fantis
  4. Egyptians

Answer: (1) Phoenicians

Explanation:
Phoenicians came up with the first alphabet system that consisted of 22 alphabets, in 11th century BC.

20. The author of the book entitled “Suspect Document” is:

  1. Osborn & Osborn
  2. Ordway Hilton
  3. Wilson R. Harrison
  4. R.A. Huber

Answer: (3) Wilson R. Harrison

Explanation:
-> Albert S. Osborn wrote a book named “Questioned Documents”.
-> Wilson R. Harrison wrote the book “Suspect Documents: Their Scientific Examination” book.

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