23.10.2015 Greek alphabet -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia

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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

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Θ θ, ϑ* theta th tin

Ι ι iota i even or pin

Κ κ kappa c in proper nouns, k incommon words

pocket

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

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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

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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

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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>.