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Learn about the history, letters, and sound values of the Greek alphabet, the ancestor of the Latin and Cyrillic scripts. Compare the Ancient and Modern Greek pronunciation and see examples of diacritics and numerals.
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Learn about the Greek alphabet, the first writing system with separate symbols for vowels and consonants. Find out the names, pronunciation, numeric value and more of each letter in the 24-letter Greek alphabet.
Learn the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet, their names, and how to pronounce them in modern and ancient Greek. Find out how Greek letters are used in math, science, astronomy, and more.
- Overview
- Classical Greek alphabet
- Classical Greek numerals
- Modern Greek alphabet
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The Greek alphabet is a writing system that was developed in Greece about 1000 BCE. It is the direct or indirect ancestor of all modern European alphabets. It was derived from the North Semitic alphabet via that of the Phoenicians.
How is the Greek alphabet used today?
The Greek alphabet is still used for the Greek language today. The letters of the Greek alphabet are now also used as symbols for concepts in equations of the interrelated fields of mathematics and science—for example, the lowercase alpha (⍺) can be used to represent an angle in mathematics.
Is the Greek alphabet the same as the Cyrillic alphabet?
The Greek alphabet is not the same as the Cyrillic alphabet. But the Cyrillic alphabet was heavily based upon the Greek alphabet, so the two writing systems resemble each other. The Cyrillic alphabet was created during the Middle Ages, and it includes additional letters to account for the sounds which Slavic languages use that aren’t present in Greek. The Cyrillic alphabet is now also used for non-Slavic languages, such as Kyrgyz and Tajik.
Why was the Greek alphabet a significant development?
The table indicates the Classical Greek alphabet.
The table indicates the Classical Greek numerals.
The table indicates the Modern Greek alphabet.
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Learn about the Greek alphabet, the writing system that was developed in Greece about 1000 BCE and is the ancestor of all modern European alphabets. See the Classical, Modern, and numeral forms of the Greek alphabet, as well as their equivalents and pronunciation.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Aug 1, 2023 · The Greek alphabet allowed for the development of Greek culture on every level. It was adopted by the Etruscans, who then transmitted it to the Romans, who developed Latin script, which became the basis for modern-day alphabetic script and enabled the written word as it is presently known.
- Joshua J. Mark
- The Greek alphabet was invented c. 8th century BCE.
- The Greek alphabet was derived from the Phoenician script of 22 characters without vowels. The Greek alphabet added vowels and two letters bringing...
- The Greek alphabet is so-called from the first two characters in the system: alpha (A) and beta (B).
Feb 20, 2020 · Learn about the Greek alphabet, its origin, evolution, and scripts. Find out how to write and pronounce the 24 letters, and why they are important for mathematics, science, and culture.
Learn about the history, letters, and variants of the Greek alphabet, a writing system used to write the Greek language and other languages. The Greek alphabet has 24 letters, each with an uppercase and lowercase form, and some diacritics to mark the tone or pitch of words.
