Aramaic alphabet: Difference between revisions

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Changing Hebrew letter names to Aramaic letter names (for example, there is no "Vav" in Aramaic: v=>w).
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!Pronunciation
!Pronunciation
|-
|-
|[[Aleph]]
|[[Aleph|Alap]]
|[[image:ialeph.png]]
|[[image:ialeph.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|א
|style="font-size: 33px;"|א
|[[glottal stop]]; ā, ē
|[[glottal stop]]; ā, ē
|-
|-
|[[Beth]]
|[[Beth|Bet]]
|[[image:ibeth.png]]
|[[image:ibeth.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ב
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ב
|b, v
|b, v
|-
|-
|[[Gimel]]
|[[Gimel|Gamal]]
|[[image:igimel.png]]
|[[image:igimel.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ג
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ג
|g, gh
|g, gh
|-
|-
|[[Daleth]]
|[[Daleth|Dalet]]
|[[image:idaleth.png]]
|[[image:idaleth.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ד
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ד
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|h
|h
|-
|-
|[[Vav]]
|[[Vav|Wau]]
|[[image:iwaw.png]]
|[[image:iwaw.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ו
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ו
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|z
|z
|-
|-
|[[Heth]]
|[[Heth|Het]]
|[[image:iheth.png]]
|[[image:iheth.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ח
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ח
|[ħ] ([[voiceless pharyngeal fricative]])
|[ħ] ([[voiceless pharyngeal fricative]])
|-
|-
|[[Teth]]
|[[Teth|Tet]]
|[[image:iteth.png]]
|[[image:iteth.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ט
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ט
|[[emphatic consonant|emphatic]] [t{{IPA|ˁ}}]
|[[emphatic consonant|emphatic]] [t{{IPA|ˁ}}]
|-
|-
|[[Yodh]]
|[[Yodh|Yudh]]
|[[image:iyod.png]]
|[[image:iyod.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|י
|style="font-size: 33px;"|י
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|k
|k
|-
|-
|[[Lamed]]
|[[Lamed|Lamad]]
|[[image:ilamed.png]]
|[[image:ilamed.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ל
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ל
|l
|l
|-
|-
|[[Mem]]
|[[Mem|Mim]]
|[[image:imem.png]]
|[[image:imem.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ם / מ
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ם / מ
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|n
|n
|-
|-
|[[Samekh]]
|[[Samekh|Simkat]]
|[[image:isamekh.png]]
|[[image:isamekh.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ס
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ס
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|q ([[voiceless uvular plosive]])
|q ([[voiceless uvular plosive]])
|-
|-
|[[Resh]]
|[[Resh|Rish]]
|[[image:iresh.png]]
|[[image:iresh.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ר
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ר
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|sh
|sh
|-
|-
|[[Tav]]
|[[Tav|Tau]]
|[[image:itaw.png]]
|[[image:itaw.png]]
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ת
|style="font-size: 33px;"|ת

Revision as of 22:03, 29 December 2006

Aramaic alphabet
Script type
Time period
600 BCE to 600 CE
DirectionRight-to-left script Edit this on Wikidata
LanguagesAramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Mandaic
Related scripts
Parent systems
Child systems
Hebrew, Nabataean, Syriac, Palmyrenean and Mandaic
 This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.
Bilingual inscription (Greek and Aramaic) by the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great, 3rd century BC.
History of the alphabet

The Aramaic alphabet is an abjad alphabet designed for writing the Aramaic language. As with other abjads, the letters all represent consonants; a few matres lectionis are consonants that also represent long vowels.

The earliest inscriptions in the Aramaic language use the Phoenician alphabet. In time, the alphabet developed into the form shown below. The use of Aramaic as a lingua franca throughout the Middle East from the 8th century BCE led to the gradual adoption of the Aramaic alphabet for writing Hebrew. Formerly, Hebrew had been written using an alphabet closer in form to that of Phoenician (the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet).

The Hebrew and Nabataean alphabets are little changed in style from the Aramaic alphabet. The development of cursive versions of Aramaic led to the creation of the Syriac, Palmyrenean and Mandaic alphabets. These scripts formed the basis of the Arabic, Sogdian, Orkhon and Mongolian alphabets. Controversially, it is claimed that the Aramaic alphabet may be the forebear of the Indic alphabets.

Today, Biblical Aramaic, Jewish Neo-Aramaic dialects and the Aramaic language of the Talmud are written in the Hebrew alphabet. Syriac and Christian Neo-Aramaic dialects are written in the Syriac alphabet. Mandaic is written in the Mandaic alphabet.

Imperial Aramaic alphabet

Redrawn from A Grammar of Biblical Aramaic, Franz Rosenthal; forms are as used in Egypt, 5th century BCE. Names are as in Biblical Aramaic.

Letter name Letter form Equivalent Hebrew Pronunciation
Alap File:Ialeph.png א glottal stop; ā, ē
Bet ב b, v
Gamal ג g, gh
Dalet File:Idaleth.png ד d, dh
Heh ה h
Wau File:Iwaw.png ו w; ō, ū
Zayin File:Izayin.png ז z
Het ח [ħ] (voiceless pharyngeal fricative)
Tet ט emphatic [tˁ]
Yudh File:Iyod.png י y; ī, ē
Kaph ך / כ k
Lamad ל l
Mim ם / מ m
Nun File:Inun.png ן / נ n
Simkat ס s
Ayin ע voiced pharyngeal fricative
Pe ף / פ p, f
Tsadi , ץ / צ emphatic Ts
Qoph ק q (voiceless uvular plosive)
Rish ר r
Shin ש sh
Tau ת t, t

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aramaic alphabet.
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