[f. ALPHABET + -ISM.]
1. Symbolization of spoken sounds by means of an alphabet.
1879. Encycl. Brit., I. 602/1. Alphabetism, in which the syllable is no longer denoted by an indivisible symbol, but is resolved into vowel and consonant.
2. Employment of certain letters of the alphabet as a signature or assumed indication of authorship.
1867. O. Hamst, Martyr to Bibliogr. Alphabetism, as A. B. C., X. Y. Z., frequently used.
