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Semiotic list with the classical greek alphabet, detailed and analised.
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23.10.2015 Greek alphabet -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
http://www.britannica.com/print/article/244456 1/5
Greek alphabetGreek alphabet, writing system that was developed in Greece about 1000 BC. It is the direct or indirect ancestor of all modernEuropean alphabets. Derived from the North Semitic alphabet via that of the Phoenicians, the Greek alphabet was modified tomake it more efficient and accurate for writing a non-Semitic language by the addition of several new letters and themodification or dropping of several others. Most important, some of the symbols of the Semitic alphabet, which representedonly consonants, were made to represent vowels: the Semitic consonants ʾalef, he, yod, ʿayin, and vav became the Greek lettersalpha, epsilon, iota, omicron, and upsilon, representing the vowels a,e,i,o, and u, respectively. The addition of symbols for thevowel sounds greatly increased the accuracy and legibility of the writing system for non-Semitic languages.
Before the 5th century BC the Greek alphabet could be divided into two principal branches, the Ionic (eastern) and the Chalcidian(western); differences between the two branches were minor. The Chalcidian alphabet probably gave rise to the Etruscanalphabet of Italy in the 8th century BC and hence indirectly to the other Italic alphabets, including the Latin alphabet, which is nowused for most European languages. In 403 BC, however, Athens officially adopted the Ionic alphabet as written in Miletus, and inthe next 50 years almost all local Greek alphabets, including the Chalcidian, were replaced by the Ionic script, which thus becamethe classical Greek alphabet.
The early Greek alphabet was written, like its Semitic forebears, from right to left. This gradually gave way to the boustrophedonstyle, and after 500 BC Greek was always written from left to right. The classical alphabet had 24 letters, 7 of which were vowels,and consisted of capital letters, ideal for monuments and inscriptions. From it were derived three scripts better suited tohandwriting: uncial, which was essentially the classical capitals adapted to writing with pen on paper and similar to handprinting; and cursive and minuscule, which were running scripts similar to modern handwriting forms, with joined letters andconsiderable modification in letter shape. Uncial went out of use in the 9th century AD, and minuscule, which replaced it,developed into the modern Greek handwriting form.
The table indicates the Classical Greek alphabet.
Classical Greek alphabet
letters equivalent
capital lowercase
combi-nations
name EB preferred alter-natives
approximate classical Atticpronunciation
Α α, α* alpha a are
αι ae in proper nouns, ai incommon words
e ice
αυ au now
Β β beta b baby
Γ γ gamma g go
γγ ng angle
γκ nk nc ink
γξ nx thanks
γχ nch nkh in case
Δ δ, ∂* delta d dog
Ε ε epsilon e bet
ει ei e or i day
ευ eu bet + now
Ζ ζ zeta z used
Η η eta ē e air
ηυ ēu eu airway
Θ θ, ϑ* theta th tin
Classical Greek alphabet
23.10.2015 Greek alphabet -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
http://www.britannica.com/print/article/244456 2/5
Θ θ, ϑ* theta th tin
Ι ι iota i even or pin
Κ κ kappa c in proper nouns, k incommon words
Λ λ lambda l lil</>y
Μ μ mu m maim
Ν ν nu n not
Ξ ξ xi x ax
Ο ο omicron o Ger. so
οι oe in proper nouns, oi incommon words
Ger. so + day
ου ou own
Π π pi p spin
Ρ ρ rho initial, rh; medial, r rose
ρρ rrh Ger. Naturrecht
Σ σ** sigma s sand
Τ τ tau t stay
Υ υ upsilon y u Fr. du
υι ui Fr. concluiez
Φ ϕ, φ* phi ph pin
Χ χ chi ch kh kin
Ψ ψ psi ps perhaps
Ω ω omega ō o call
*Old-style character. **Final, ç.
The table indicates the Classical Greek numerals.
Classical Greek numerals
Greek Arabic
α′ 1
β′ 2
γ′ 3
δ′ 4
ε′ 5
ζ′ 6
ξ′ 7
η′ 8
θ′ 9
Classical Greek numerals
23.10.2015 Greek alphabet -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
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ι′ 10
ια′ 11
ιβ′ 12
ιγ′ 13
ιδ′ 14
ιε′ 15
ιζ′ 16
ιξ′ 17
ιη′ 18
ιθ′ 19
κ′ 20
κα′ 21
κβ′ 22
κγ′ 23
κδ′ 24
λ′ 30
μ′ 40
ν′ 50
ξ′ 60
ο′ 70
π′ 80
ϙ′ 90
ρ′ 100
σ′ 200
τ′ 300
υ′ 400
ϕ′ 500
χ′ 600
ψ′ 700
ω′ 800
ϡ′ 900
α 1,000
The table indicates the modern Greek alphabet.
Modern Greek alphabet
Greek letters
′
Modern Greek alphabet
23.10.2015 Greek alphabet -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
http://www.britannica.com/print/article/244456 4/5
Greek letters
capital lowercase
combinations name equivalents approximatepronunciation
Α α, α* álfa a bother
αι e bed
αï ai life
αυ av/af lava**, waft
αϋ ai life
Β β víta v van
Γ γ ghámma gh before α, ο, ου, ω, and consonants other than γ, ξ, and χ, ybefore αι, ε, ει, η, ι, οι, υ, υι; n before γ, ξ, and χ
wit, yet, sing
γκ initial, g;medial, ng
go,finger
Δ δ, ∂ * dhélta dh; d between ν and ρ then, wondrous
Ε ε épsilon e bet
ει i even
εï eï day
ευ ev/ef revel, left
Ζ ζ zíta z zone
Η η íta i fig
ηυ iv/if even, leaf
Θ θ, ϑ * thíta th thin
Ι ι ióta i even
Κ κ káppa k kin, cook
Λ λ lámbdha l lily
Μ μ mi m maim
μπ initial, b;medial, mb
bake,ambush
Ν ν ni n not
ντ initial, d;medial, nd
dog,fender
ντζ ntz chintz
Ξ ξ xi x ax
Ο ο ómikron o saw
οι i even
οï oi boy
ου u food
Π π pi p pin
Ρ ρ ro r rose
Σ σ*** sígma s sand
Τ τ taf t tie
Υ υ ípsilon i initially and between consonants even
23.10.2015 Greek alphabet -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
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υι i even
Φ ϕ, φ* fi f fifty
Χ χ khi kh Ger. Buch
Ψ ψ psi ps perhaps
Ω ω oméga o bone
*Old-style character. **Pronounced with a long a. ***Final, ç.
"Greek alphabet". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 23 Oct. 2015<http://www.britannica.com/topic/Greek-alphabet>.
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