Greek alphabet origin. How to write Greek letters

letter, name, pronunciation, Latin transliteration
Α α alpha [a] long or short, a
Β β beta [b] b
Γ γ gamma [g] g
Δ δ delta [d] d
Ε ε epsilon [e] short, e
Ζ ζ zeta [dz] dz
Η η this [uh] long ē
Θ θ theta [thx] th
Ι ι iota [and] long and short, i
Κ κ kappa [k] k
Λ λ lambda [l] l
Μ μ mu [m] m
Ν ν nu [n] n
Ξ ξ xi [ks] x
Ο ο omicron [o] short, o
Π π pi [n] p
Ρ ρ ro [r] r
Σ σ sigma [s] s
Τ τ tau [t] t
Υ υ upsilon [ü] as a vowel in a word tulle, short and long, y
Φ φ fi [f] ph
Χ χ hi [x] ch
Ψ ψ psi [ps] ps
Ω ω omega [o] long ō

Sigma at the end of a word is written as ς: σεισμός earthquake

Ancient Greek vowels were long and short. Alpha, iota and upsilon could represent both short and long sounds. Omega and eta are long [o] and [e], respectively, omicrom and epsilon are short [o] and [e]. In modern tradition, when reading an ancient Greek text, the length of vowels is not conveyed. However, you need to know it to set the accent correctly.

Gamma in combinations γγ γκ γχ γξ is read as [n] ἄγγελος [angelos] messenger, ἄγκυρα [ankyura] anchor, λόγχη [longhe] spear, Σφίγξ [sphinx] sphinx.

The consonants Φ Θ Χ were originally voiceless aspirated [п х] [т х] [к х]. They lost their aspiration quite early, turning into [f], [t], [x]. Traditionally, aspiration is conveyed only when reading theta. In modern Greek, theta began to denote an interdental sound.

Diphthongs. αυ [ау] ευ [еу] - read in one syllable. ου - reads like [y].
Αι [ay] Ει [hey] οι [oh] υι [üy]
In diphthongs with the so-called “signed iota” it is not readable ᾳ [a] ῃ [e] ῳ [o]
If you need to show separate pronunciation of vowels, two dots πραΰς [pro-us] are placed above the second of them gentle

Aspiration. An aspiration sign must be placed above the initial vowels.
᾿ - subtle aspiration. does not affect pronunciation
῾ - thick aspiration, pronounced like Ukrainian g (back-lingual, voiced, fricative). there won't be great sin pronounce thick aspiration and like Russian [x]. ἡμέρα [hemera] day, ἓξ [hex] six

The initial υ and ρ always have a thick aspiration. Thick aspiration over ρ is not reflected in the pronunciation; it is rendered in Latin as rh. Aspiration signs are placed on two adjacent ρ in the middle of the word: thin over the first, thick over the second. They are also not reflected when spoken.

Accent marks are also placed above the vowels, which will be discussed next time.

This version of reading ancient Greek letters is called Erasmus pronunciation after Erasmus of Rotterdam, who proposed such reading after comparing Greek words, Greek borrowings in Latin and features of Greek graphics. There is another option - Reichlin pronunciation. It is named after Erasmus' opponent, Johann Reuchlin. Reuchlin was guided by the pronunciation that existed in the Middle Ages.
Features of the Reichlin system.
1) thick aspiration is not pronounced
2) β is read as [in]
3) π after μ and ν is voiced in [b]
4) τ after ν is voiced in [d]
5) κ after γ and ν is voiced in [g]
6) θ is read as [f]
7) Αι is read as [e]
8) the sounds η and υ, as well as the diphthongs Ει οι υι began to be read as [and]
9) αυ and ευ are read before voiced consonants as [av] and [ev], and before voiceless consonants as [af] and [ef].
Erasmus's system is often called etacism, and Reuchlin's - itacism.

The Greek alphabet came into continuous use from the late 9th to early 8th centuries BC. e. According to researchers, this system of written signs was the first to include both consonants and vowels, as well as signs used to separate them. What were the ancient Greek letters like? How did they appear? Which letter ends the Greek alphabet and which letter begins? This and much more is discussed further in the article.

How and when did Greek letters appear?

It must be said that in many Semitic languages ​​letters have independent names and interpretations. It is not entirely clear when exactly the borrowing of signs occurred. Researchers offer various dates for this process from the 14th to the 7th centuries BC. e. But most authors agree on the 9th and 10th centuries. The later dating is somewhat implausible, since the earliest finds of Greek inscriptions may date back to around the 8th century BC. e. or even earlier. In the 10th-9th centuries, North Semitic scripts had a certain similarity. But there is evidence that the Greeks borrowed the writing system specifically from the Phoenicians. This is also plausible because this Semitic group was the most widely dispersed and actively engaged in trade and navigation.

General information

The Greek alphabet includes 24 letters. In some dialects of the pre-classical era, other signs were also used: heta, sampi, stigma, coppa, san, digamma. Of these, the three letters of the Greek alphabet given at the end were also used to write numbers. In the Phoenician system, each symbol was called the word that began with it. So, for example, the first written sign is “aleph” (ox), the next is “bet” (house), the 3rd is gimel (camel) and so on. Subsequently, when borrowing for greater convenience, changes were made to almost every name. The letters of the Greek alphabet thus became somewhat simpler, losing their interpretation. Thus, aleph became alpha, bet became beta, and gimel became gamma. Subsequently, when some characters were changed or added to the writing system, the names of the Greek letters became more meaningful. So, for example, “omicron” is a small o, “omega” (the last character in the written system) - accordingly, is a large o.

Innovations

Greek letters were the foundation for the creation of the main European fonts. Moreover, initially the system of written signs was not simply borrowed from the Semites. The Greeks made their own changes to it. Thus, in Semitic writing, the direction of the characters was either from right to left, or in turn in accordance with the direction of the lines. The second way of writing began to be called "boustrophedon". This definition is a combination of two words translated from Greek as “bull” and “turn”. Thus, a visual image of an animal is formed, dragging a plow across the field, changing direction from furrow to furrow. As a result, the direction from left to right became a priority in Greek writing. This, in turn, caused a number of corresponding changes in the form of some symbols. Therefore, the Greek letters of a later style represent a mirrored image of Semitic symbols.

Meaning

Based on the Greek alphabet, a large number of written sign systems were created and subsequently developed, which spread in the Middle East and Europe and were used in the writing of many countries around the world. The Cyrillic and Latin alphabet were no exception. It is known that, for example, predominantly Greek letters were used during creation. In addition to the fact that the symbols were used to write a language, they were used as international mathematical symbols. Today, Greek letters are used not only in mathematics, but also in other exact sciences. In particular, these symbols are called stars (for example, the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet “tau” was used to designate Tau Ceti), elementary particles and so on.

Archaic Greek letters

These symbols are not included in the classical writing system. Some of them (sampi, coppa, digamma), as mentioned above, were used for numerical recordings. At the same time, two - sampi and coppa - are still used today. In Byzantine times, the digamma was replaced by the ligature stigma. In a number of archaic dialects, these symbols still had a sound meaning and were used when writing words. The most important representatives of the Greek direction are the Latin system and its varieties. In particular, they include Gaelic and At the same time, there are other fonts that are directly or indirectly related to the Greek alphabet. Among them, the Ogham and runic systems should be noted.

Symbols used for other languages

In a number of cases, Greek letters were used to record completely different languages ​​(for example, Old Church Slavonic). In this case, new symbols were added to the new system - additional signs that reflected the existing sounds of the language. Over the course of history, separate writing systems were often formed in such cases. This, for example, happened with the Cyrillic, Etruscan and Coptic alphabets. But often the system of written signs remained essentially unchanged. That is, during its creation, Greek letters were predominantly present and additional symbols were present only in small quantities.

Spreading

The Greek alphabet had several varieties. Each species was associated with a specific colony or city-state. But all these varieties fall into one of the two main categories used in the western and eastern Greek spheres of influence. The difference between the varieties was the sound functions that were assigned to the symbols added to those already contained in the written system. So, for example, in the east it was pronounced as ps, in the west as kh, while the sign “chi” in the east was pronounced as kh, in the west - ks. The classical Greek script was a typical example of the Ionic or Oriental type of writing system. It was officially adopted in 404 BC. e. in Athens and subsequently spread throughout Greece. The direct descendants of this font are modern writing systems, such as, for example, Gothic and Coptic, which have survived only in church use. These also include the Cyrillic alphabet, adopted for Russian and a number of other languages. The second main type of Greek writing system, the Western one, was used in some areas of Italy and other Western colonies belonging to Greece. It is believed that this type of writing laid the foundation for the Etruscan script, and through it the Latin one, which became the main one in the territory Ancient Rome and Western Europe.

Table with the Greek alphabet (image of capital letters and lowercase letters - lowercase letters), with the names of Greek letters written in Greek in capital letters, with the first capital and lowercase.

The Greek alphabet table also includes a transcription of the correct pronunciation of the names of Greek letters and the sounds themselves that represent these letters. We also give the traditional name of Greek letters in Russian (which are used in mathematics, physics and other exact sciences to denote concepts).

There are 24 letters in the Greek alphabet. There are no letters “ch” and “sh”, but there are many other hissing and whistling sounds that are indicated by other letters and their combinations.

The word ALPHABET itself, which we use to name the system of symbols (letters) of the Russian language, is of Greek origin and consists of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha and vita (which in Russia we usually call beta).

The alphabet or primer for children in Greek is called αλφαβητάρι (alphabet A ri or alphabet A Rio).

A table with the Greek alphabets and letter translations will help you figure out how to correctly read simple Greek words. The Greek alphabet with transcription will help you understand signs and inscriptions in Greek, read menus in Greek and do everything else you need on holiday in Cyprus and Greece.

This is a video where you will hear how to correctly pronounce the letters of the Greek alphabet. You can't hear it very well, but if you turn the sound up louder, everything will be fine, you'll figure it out.

How to read Greek letters in combination

1. Greek vowels and their combinations

η, ι, υ, ει, οι, υι - And;

αυ, ευ - AB, EB - if they stand before voiced consonants OR as AF and EF, if before voiceless consonants.

ει, οι - И (if this combination of letters is unstressed and comes before or after vowels.

Vowel sounds are pronounced equally clearly in stressed and unstressed positions; there is no need to swallow or change sounds.

2. Greek consonants and their combinations

Greek λ is pronounced with medium softness.

The letter γ can be G (fricative, southern Russian sound, close to X) or Y.

If γ before vowels α, ο, ω, αι or before consonants = Г.

If γ is before the vowels ε, η, ι, υ, αι, ει, οι, υι - Y.

The letters θ, δ are absent in the Russian language; they are close to the English th, when the tongue must be slightly (2-3 mm) inserted between the teeth and the sound must be pronounced with a slight whistle and lisp.

If the word has a Greek θ, try to say it with a slightly lisping S (voiceless sound).

If the letter is δ, then hiss slowly Z (ringing sound).

3. Double consonant sounds of Greek letters

4. Combinations of Greek consonants

μπ - B (at the beginning of the word), MB (in the middle of the word);

ντ - D (at the beginning of the word), ND (in the middle of the word);

γγ, γχ - NG, NH (n corresponds to the sound N, which is pronounced in the Russian word “point”, slightly through the nose, with the mouth closed);

γκ - G plosive (at the beginning of a word), NG (in the middle of a word, like the Russian sound N in the word “kong”);

μια - MN (the sound M is pronounced with a nasal sound, without opening the mouth);

σ - before β, γ, λ, μ, ν, ρ is pronounced as Z (S is voiced);

π - before η, ι, υ, and unstressed ει, οι - pronounced like ПХ (aspirated P sound).

5. How to pronounce Greek consonant combinations at the junction of words

If a word ends with one consonant, and the next word in the text begins with another consonant, then it should be pronounced like this:

ν-κ (the first ends with ν, the second begins with κ) = NG;

ν-τσ = NDZ;

ν-π or ν-μπ = MB.

6. Pronunciation of double consonants in Greek

If a Greek word contains 2 identical consonants in a row (double consonants), it is read as one. For example: Limassol - Limassol, Apollo - Apollo, etc.

Question mark in Greek

The question mark in Greek is not indicated by the traditional “?”, but by a semicolon (;).

Therefore, do not be surprised and use semicolons less often. if you write in Greek, otherwise you will be misunderstood.

Greek alphabet will be useful when getting to know the site.

Firstly, it is Greek, and the myths on the site are ancient Greek, the names of gods and heroes were accordingly written in Greek crocodile, which you cannot decipher with a glance and without a hint. Secondly, our site is astronomical, dedicated to constellations, and in astronomy, the so-called Bayer notation, based on the Greek alphabet, is traditionally used to designate stars.

So I ask you to love and favor me.

The Greek alphabet is only illegible at first glance - in fact, it is similar to the Russian one, the letters are similar to the Cyrillic alphabet, and in addition, it is shorter. The modern Greek alphabet has only 24 letters.

Naturally, in modern Greek there are reading rules, all sorts of digrams and diphthongs, etc.

A few words about the correspondence between Greek and other alphabets.

The Latin alphabet is familiar to us. The letters of the Latin alphabet mostly correspond to the Greek ones. I present the Latin alphabet with some comments. The Cyrillic alphabet is directly constructed from the Greek alphabet. There are many variants of the Cyrillic alphabet for different Slavic languages. Naturally, I present the Russian alphabet with some necessary pre-reform additions.

Ελληνικό αλφάβητο [eliniko alphabeto] — greek alphabet used in Greek and in the rather small Greek language group. Despite this, it is one of the most ancient (presumably 9th century) and studied. The word “Alphabet”, which we borrowed from the Greeks, consists of the names of the first two letters: "alpha" And "vita"(by analogy our “ABC” was named: "az" And "beeches") Both the modern and ancient Greek alphabet consists of 24 letters: vowels and consonants.

Greek alphabet history

The letters of the Greek alphabet were partially borrowed from the Phoenician script of the consonantal type of writing words (using only consonant sounds). Due to the peculiarity of the Greek language, some symbols denoting consonants began to be used to record vowel sounds. Thus, the Greek alphabet can be considered the first in the history of writing, which consisted of vowels and consonants. Phoenician letters changed not only their styles, but also their names. Initially, all the symbols of the Phoenician writing system had names denoting a word and denoting the initial letter of that word. In Greek transcription, the words slightly changed their sound, and the semantic load was lost. New symbols have also been added to represent missing vowel sounds.

Modern Greek alphabet with transcription

(Modern Greek)

Ancient Greek alphabet with transcription

(ancient Greek)

Numbers of the Greek alphabet

The symbols of the Greek alphabet were also used in the system of writing numbers. The letters in order denoted numbers from 1 to 9, then numbers from 10 to 90, multiples of 10, and then numbers from 100 to 900, multiples of 100. Due to the fact that there were not enough alphabetic characters to write numbers, the number system was supplemented with symbols:

• ϛ (stigma)
• ϟ (coppa)
• ϡ (sampi)