Phoenician
|
Latin (passed
via Etruscans to Roman Alphabet)
|
|
Sign
|
Name
|
Meaning
|
Phone
|
Latin
|
History |
|
Aleph |
Ox |
A
laryngeal
consonent |
A
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent alryngeal consonant ('), or glotal stop.
After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed the sign from Phoenician and
reversed its form, changed its name to Alpha and made the sign
stand for the vowel A. |
|
Beth |
House |
B
consonant |
B
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent b consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and inverted/reversed its form, changed
its name to Beta and made the sign stand for the consonant B. |
|
Gimel |
Camel |
G
consonant |
C,
G
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent g consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and reversed/curved its form, changed
its name to Gamma and made the sign stand for the consonant G. |
|
Daleth |
Door |
D
consonant |
D
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent d consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and reversed/curved its form, changed
its name to Delta and made the sign stand for the consonant D. |
|
He |
? |
H
consonant |
E
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent h consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and reversed its form, changed its name
to Epsilon and made the sign stand for the vowel E. |
|
Waw |
? |
W semi-
consonant |
F
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent w semi- consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks
borrowed the sign from Phoenician and reversed/altered its form,
changed its name to Digamma and made the sign stand for the semi-
consonant W. |
|
Heth |
Wall |
H
laryngeal
consonent |
H
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent h laryngeal consonent. After 900 B.C. the
Greeks borrowed the sign from Phoenician and removed the upper
and lower bars, changed its name to Eta and made the sign stand
for the consonant H. |
|
Yodh |
Hand |
Y semi-
consonant |
I,J
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent y semi- consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks
borrowed the sign from Phoenician and removed its bars, changed
its name to Iota and made the sign stand for the vowel I. |
|
Kaph |
Hand |
K
consonant |
K
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent k consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and reversed/altered its form, changed
its name to Kappa and made the sign stand for the consonant K. |
|
Lamedh |
? |
L
consonant |
L
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent l consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and reversed/altered its form, changed
its name to Lamda and made the sign stand for the consonant L. |
|
Mem |
Water |
M
consonant |
M
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent m consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician andreversed/curved its form, changed
its name to M???? and made the sign stand for the consonant M. |
|
Nun |
Fish |
N
consonant |
N
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent n consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and reversed/curved its form, changed
its name to Nu and made the sign stand for the consonant N. |
|
Ayin |
Eye |
3
laryngeal
consonant |
O
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent 3 laryngeal consonant. After 900 B.C. the
Greeks borrowed the sign from Phoenician but had no use for its
sound in Indo-European. They called Omikron and made the sign
stand for the vowel short O. |
|
Pe |
Mouth |
P
consonant |
P
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent g consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and reversed/curved its form, changed
its name to Pi and made the sign stand for the consonant P. |
|
Qoph |
Monkey |
Q
voiceless
velar |
Q
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent q voiceless velar. After 900 B.C. the Greeks
borrowed the sign from Phoenician and altered its form, changed
its name to qoppa and but had no use for its sound in Indo-European
so they used it for the sound K. |
|
Resh |
Head |
R
consonant |
R
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent r consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and reversed/altered its form, changed
its name to Rho and made the sign stand for the consonant R. |
|
Sin |
Tooth |
Sh
consonant |
S
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent sh consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks
borrowed the sign from Phoenician and reversed/curved its form,
changed its name to Sigma and made the sign stand for the consonant
S. |
|
Taw |
Mark |
T
consonant |
T
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent t consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and slightly altered its form, changed
its name to Tau and made the sign stand for the consonant T. |
|
Waw |
? |
W semi-
consonant |
UV W
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent w semi- consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks
borrowed the sign from Phoenician and altered its form, changed
its name to Upsilon and made the sign stand for the vowel bare
U. |
|
Samekh |
Fish |
S
consonant |
X
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent s consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician and altered its form, changed its name
to Xi and made the sign stand for the consonant X. |
|
Zayin |
Sword |
Z
consonant |
Z
|
Around 1000 B.C. this letter
was used to represent z consonant. After 900 B.C. the Greeks borrowed
the sign from Phoenician as is, changed its name to Zeta and made
the sign stand for the consonant Z. |