Ancient Greek Script Origins: Dating Back to Around 800 BCE, Consists of 24 Letters, and Here's a Quick Guide to Pronunciation.
The Greek alphabet, a cornerstone of Western civilization, traces its roots back to the ancient Phoenician script. Two Semitic words, aleph and beth, Hellenised to form the first two Greek letters, alpha and beta, respectively, signifying 'ox-head' and 'house'.
The Phoenician alphabet, primarily used by the ancient people occupying modern-day Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, provided the basic letter forms and structure for the Greek alphabet. Around the 8th century BCE, the Greeks adapted this consonantal script, innovating by adding letters to represent vowels, a departure from the original Phoenician system that was consonant-only.
The Greek alphabet, with its 24 letters, was revolutionary. It was democratic and accessible, a stark contrast to the exclusive writing systems of the time. This new alphabet, which eventually became dominant across the Greek-speaking world, was first adopted by Athens in the form of the Ionic alphabet.
One of the unique aspects of the Greek alphabet is the letter sigma. It has two lowercase forms: σ, which is used in the middle of words, and ς, which appears at the end of a word.
Greek letters have found their way into various fields, from mathematics (pi) and astronomy (to designate the brightest stars in a constellation) to more recent usage, such as denoting variants of the coronavirus.
However, scholars continue to debate the correct pronunciation of ancient Greek. While the emphasis on omicron was traditionally placed on the 'mike' syllable, modern interpretations vary. Interestingly, modern Greek speakers can read ancient Greek texts with relative ease.
An intriguing artifact that sheds light on the early days of the Greek alphabet is the Ischia graffito, an early Greek alphabetic inscription found in Italy. This graffito, associated with the island of Euboia (modern Evvia) near Athens, makes a humorous reference to the Greek king Nestor's drinking goblet.
The Greek alphabet, named 'Phoenician letters', marks the beginning of the English alphabet. With its phonetic nature, the ancient Greek alphabet is considered the world's first fully phonetic alphabetic script. Furthermore, the Greek alphabetic language boasts the oldest continuous written literary tradition in the world.
References: [1] http://www.britannica.com/topic/Greek-language/The-Greek-alphabet [2] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Greek-language/The-Greek-alphabet [3] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Greek-language/The-Greek-alphabet/268943 [5] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Greek-language/The-Greek-alphabet/268945
Education-and-self-development: The Greek alphabetic language boasts the oldest continuous written literary tradition in the world, demonstrating the importance of preserving and understanding its history for personal growth and intellectual curiosity.
Education-and-self-development: The Greek alphabet, named 'Phoenician letters', marks the beginning of the English alphabet, alongside the roots of Western civilization, highlighting the significance of exploring its evolution and development for a broader understanding of language and culture.
