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Latin alphabet, the most widely used alphabetic writing system in the world, the standard script of the English language and the languages of most of Europe and those areas settled by Europeans. It can be traced through the Etruscan, Greek, and Phoenician scripts to the North Semitic alphabet used about 1100 BCE.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Mar 28, 2024 · The Latin alphabet serves as the primary writing system for a wide variety of languages, especially across Europe: Romance languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian; Germanic languages, such as English and German; Slavic languages like Polish, Czech, and Croatian. Source image.
- Beith
- Luis
- Fearn
- Saille
- Nuin
- Huath
- Duir
- Tinne
- Coll
- Quert
The first letter of the ogham tree alphabet, Beith stands for birch, and corresponds to the letter B. Also called Beth, it represents new beginnings, change, and rebirth. In Celtic legend, the first ogham ever written was Beith, which served as a warning and protective talisman of the god Ogma. Its symbolism is derived from the birch, a pioneer tre...
The second ogham character is Luis, which symbolizes insight and protection. It corresponds with the rowan or quickbeam tree, and with the letter L of the alphabet. The tree was sacred to Brigid, the Celtic goddessof poetry, prophecy and divination, who had three fiery arrows made of rowan. In ancient times, rowan served as protective and oracular ...
F is for Fearn or Fern, which corresponds with the alder tree. In modern interpretation, the symbol represents an evolving spirit, though ancient associations include prophecy and sacrifice. In Celtic mythology, the alder is the sacred tree of the god Bran, who is known for his oracular head. Ancient Celts believed that the head was capable of life...
Associated with the willow tree, Saille corresponds to letter S. Willow trees are associated with the moon and water. However, the tree used in the ogham alphabet isn’t the famous weeping willow, but the pussy willow. Since it’s sacred to the moon, it also embodies the association of imagination, intuition, and instinct, as well as flexibility and ...
Nuin or Nion is the fifth letter of the ogham alphabet, and has the phonetic value of N. The symbol represents strength and uprightness, associating it with the strength and straightness of tree branches. The name ash, along with its Old English name aesc and Latin name fraxinus, means spear. It was also the Celts’ favorite choice for making spear ...
Symbolic of the hawthorn tree, the Huath corresponds to the letter H. It’s associated with passionate love, commitment, healing, and protection. The name huath is thought to have been derived from Old Irish uath, which means horrible or frightful. In Ireland, the hawthorn is considered a fairy tree, and believed to bring bad luck and destruction to...
A representation of the oak tree, Duir corresponds to the letter D and is associated with strength, stability, and growth. The term duir also means door, so the oak groves are believed to be places where the sky world, the earth, and the otherworld meet. It’s believed that the symbol enables one to see the invisible, as well as things hidden from v...
The eighth ogham letter, Tinne corresponds to the holly tree and to the letter T. The name tinne is related to the Old Irish word teann, meaning strong or bold, and the Irish and Scots Gaelic word teine which means fire. Therefore, the ogham symbol is associated with strength and power. It’s also sacred to the Celtic smith god Govannon or Goibniu, ...
Associated with the hazel tree, Coll corresponds to letter C, sometimes read as K. It represents wisdom, knowledge, and creativity, which led to the use of hazel wood in magic wands. In the bardic ritual of Diechetel do Chenaib or cracking the nuts of wisdom, hazelnuts were chewed to induce poetic inspiration and insight.
The tenth ogham letter, Quert stands for the crab apple tree. It’s associated with immortality, vision, and wholeness. The letter Q is nonexistent in Old Irish, and the quert has been interpreted to mean hound or wolf—a synonym for warrior. In some interpretations, it can refer to the Old Irish term ceirt or rag, which is a reference to wandering l...
The Latin Alphabet and Pronunciation Like with any language, especially those that have been around as long as Latin, there are different dialects, linguistic rules, and even words and phrases that differ over time and location. In the table below, the most common letters and their corresponding names and sounds, with examples, are listed.
It represents a voiceless labiodental fricative, where the lower lip lightly touches the upper teeth while airflow passes through, creating the "f" sound. G (gay): Similar to "C," the letter "G" in Latin has two pronunciations. Before the vowels "a," "o," and "u," it is pronounced as "gay," similar to the English hard "g."
May 19, 2016 · White studies Ogham—a mysterious Irish alphabet found on hundreds of scattered stones all over the country. Also called the “Celtic Tree Alphabet” due to its unusual letter scheme, Ogham ...
Oct 31, 2023 · not in the Latin alphabet l /l/, as in English " l eaf" (called l exīlis , "Thin L"); possibly sometimes /ɫ/, as in English "fu ll " (called l plēnus/pinguis , "Thick L"); scholars do not agree on whether l plēnus still existed beyond Old Latin, and if so, where it occurred
