Greek alphabet
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+ | :[[Α]] [[Β]] [[Γ]] [[Δ]] [[Ε]] [[Ζ]] [[Η]] [[Θ]] [[Ι]] [[Κ]] [[∧]] [[Μ]] [[Ν]] [[Ξ]] [[Ο]] [[∏]] [[Ρ]] [[∑]] [[Τ]] [[Υ]] [[Φ]] [[Χ]] [[Ψ]] [[Ω]] | ||
+ | :[[α]] [[β]] [[γ]] [[δ]] [[ε]] [[ζ]] [[η]] [[θ]] [[ι]] [[κ]] [[λ]] [[μ]] [[ν]] [[ξ]] [[ο]] [[π]] [[ρ]] [[σ]] [[τ]] [[υ]] [[φ]] [[χ]] [[ψ]] [[ω]] | ||
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The '''Greek alphabet''' is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the [[Greek language]] since the late [[9th century BC|9th]] or early 8th century BCE. It is the first and oldest [[alphabet]] in the narrow sense that it notes each vowel and consonant with a separate symbol. It is as such in continuous use to this day. The letters were also used to represent [[Greek numerals]], beginning in the 2nd century BCE. | The '''Greek alphabet''' is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the [[Greek language]] since the late [[9th century BC|9th]] or early 8th century BCE. It is the first and oldest [[alphabet]] in the narrow sense that it notes each vowel and consonant with a separate symbol. It is as such in continuous use to this day. The letters were also used to represent [[Greek numerals]], beginning in the 2nd century BCE. | ||
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*The letter [[Phi (letter)|phi]] can occur in two equally frequent stylistic variants, either shaped as <math>\textstyle\phi\,\!</math> (a circle with a vertical stroke through it) or as <math>\textstyle\varphi\,\!</math> (a curled shape open at the top). The symbol {{Unicode|ϕ}} (U+03D5) is designated specifically for the closed form, used as a technical symbol. | *The letter [[Phi (letter)|phi]] can occur in two equally frequent stylistic variants, either shaped as <math>\textstyle\phi\,\!</math> (a circle with a vertical stroke through it) or as <math>\textstyle\varphi\,\!</math> (a curled shape open at the top). The symbol {{Unicode|ϕ}} (U+03D5) is designated specifically for the closed form, used as a technical symbol. | ||
+ | == See also == | ||
+ | *[[Ancient Greek phonology]] | ||
+ | *[[Arvanitic alphabet]] | ||
+ | *[[Attic numerals]], a system of acrophonic representing numbers using letters of the Greek alphabet | ||
+ | *[[Euboean alphabet]] Cumae alphabet | ||
+ | *[[English pronunciation of Greek letters]] | ||
+ | *[[Greek Font Society]] | ||
+ | *[[Greek letters used in mathematics, science, and engineering]] | ||
+ | *[[Greek numerals]], a system of sequential representing numbers using letters of the Greek alphabet | ||
+ | *[[Greek spelling alphabet]] Hellenic phonetic alphabet | ||
+ | *[[Greeklish]] | ||
+ | *[[List of Greek words with English derivatives]] | ||
+ | *[[List of XML and HTML character entity references]] | ||
+ | *[[Phoenician alphabet]] | ||
+ | *[[Romanization of Greek]] Greek transliteration | ||
+ | *[[:Category:Hellenic scripts]] | ||
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The Greek alphabet is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. It is the first and oldest alphabet in the narrow sense that it notes each vowel and consonant with a separate symbol. It is as such in continuous use to this day. The letters were also used to represent Greek numerals, beginning in the 2nd century BCE.
The Greek alphabet is descended from the Phoenician alphabet, and is not related to Linear B or the Cypriot syllabary, earlier writing systems for Greek. It has given rise to many other alphabets used in Europe and the Middle East, including the Latin alphabet. In addition to being used for writing Modern Greek, its letters are today used as symbols in mathematics and science, particle names in physics, as names of stars, in the names of fraternities and sororities, in the naming of supernumerary tropical cyclones, and for other purposes.
Main letters
Below is a table listing the Greek letters, as well as their forms when romanized. The table also provides the equivalent Phoenician letter from which each Greek letter is derived. Pronunciations transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet.
The classical pronunciation given below is the reconstructed pronunciation of Attic in the late 5th and early 4th century BC. Some of the letters had different pronunciations in pre-classical times or in non-Attic dialects. For details, see History of the Greek alphabet and Ancient Greek phonology. For details on post-classical Ancient Greek pronunciation, see Koine Greek phonology.
- For details and different transliteration systems see Romanization of Greek.
Variant forms
Some letters can occur in variant shapes, mostly inherited from medieval minuscule handwriting. While their use in normal typography of Greek is purely a matter of font styles, some such variants have been given separate encodings in Unicode.
- The symbol Template:Unicode ("curled beta") is a cursive variant form of beta (β). In the French tradition of Ancient Greek typography β is used word-initially Template:Unicode is used word-internally.
- The letter epsilon can occur in two equally frequent stylistic variants, either shaped <math>\epsilon\,\!</math> ('lunate epsilon', like a semicircle with a stroke) or <math>\varepsilon\,\!</math> (similar to a reversed number 3). The symbol Template:Unicode (U+03F5) is designated specifically for the lunate form, used as a technical symbol.
- The symbol Template:Unicode ("script theta") is a cursive form of theta (θ), frequent in handwriting, and used with a specialized meaning as a technical symbol.
- The symbol Template:Unicode ("kappa symbol") is a cursive form of kappa (κ), used as a technical symbol.
- The symbol Template:Unicode ("variant pi") is an archaic script form of pi (π), also used as a technical symbol.
- The letter rho (ρ) can occur in different stylistic variants, with the descending tail either going straight down or curled to the right. The symbol Template:Unicode (U+03F1) is designated specifically for the curled form, used as a technical symbol.
- The letter sigma, in standard orthography, has two variants: ς, used only at the ends of words, and σ, used elsewhere. The form Template:Unicode ("lunate sigma", resembling a Latin c) is a medieval stylistic variant that can be used in both environments without the final/non-final distinction.
- The capital letter upsilon (Υ) can occur in different stylistic variants, with the upper strokes either straight like a Latin Y, or slightly curled. The symbol Template:Unicode (U+03D2) is designated specifically for the curled form, used as a technical symbol.
- The letter phi can occur in two equally frequent stylistic variants, either shaped as <math>\textstyle\phi\,\!</math> (a circle with a vertical stroke through it) or as <math>\textstyle\varphi\,\!</math> (a curled shape open at the top). The symbol Template:Unicode (U+03D5) is designated specifically for the closed form, used as a technical symbol.
See also
- Ancient Greek phonology
- Arvanitic alphabet
- Attic numerals, a system of acrophonic representing numbers using letters of the Greek alphabet
- Euboean alphabet Cumae alphabet
- English pronunciation of Greek letters
- Greek Font Society
- Greek letters used in mathematics, science, and engineering
- Greek numerals, a system of sequential representing numbers using letters of the Greek alphabet
- Greek spelling alphabet Hellenic phonetic alphabet
- Greeklish
- List of Greek words with English derivatives
- List of XML and HTML character entity references
- Phoenician alphabet
- Romanization of Greek Greek transliteration
- Category:Hellenic scripts