alinaTo independently invent the concept of writing in which sounds are encoded into symbols from which an infinite number of words can be assembled, you must be a genius
Zahille7There are plenty of oral languages, where the writing only came after contact with missionaries. Māori, and the other Pacific languages, aboriginal etc. And as all other species have some form of oral language, but not written. I’d pretty safe saying that sounds and words long predated the written forms. Unless you know of written only languages that the pronunciation came later?