168
edits
Changes
Expanded
An '''alphabet''' is a series of symbols that enable the spoken word to be recorded for later use and are the foundation stone of [[writing]]. The word "alphabet" is a combination of the first two letters ([[alpha]] and [[beta]]) of the [[Greek]] alphabet. Modern alphabets have evolved from ancient ''pictograms'' where a spoken sound was represented by small drawing of an object. These pictures eventually developed into formalised graphical symbols. By convention these symbols are written in a specific order ([[alphabetic]] order).
== English Alphabet ==
== Latin Alphabets ==
[[A]], [[B]], [[C]], [[D]], [[E]], [[F]], [[G]], [[H]], [[I]], [[J]], [[K]], [[L]], [[M]], [[N]], [[O]], [[P]], [[Q]], [[R]], [[S]], [[T]], [[U]], [[V]], [[W]], [[X]], [[Y]], [[Z]]
Most Western alphabets are based on the script of ancient [[Rome|Roman]] which comprised the following 23 characters or letters:
:[[A|Aa]], [[B|Bb]], [[C|Cc]], [[D|Dd]], [[E|Ee]], [[F|Ff]], [[G|Gg]], [[H|Hh]], [[I|Ii]], [[K|Kk]], [[LLl]], [[M|Mm]], [[N|Nn]], [[O|Oo]], [[P|Pp]], [[Q|Qq]], [[R|Rr]], [[S|Ss]], [[T|Tt]], [[V|Vv]], [[X|Xx]], [[Y|Yy]], [[Z|Zz]]
=== English Alphabet ===
In the English language three characters have been added to the Latin, and the English alphabet comprise the following '''26''' characters:
:Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, '''[[J|Jj]]''', Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, '''[[U|Uu]]''', Vv, '''[[W|Ww]]''', Xx, Yy, Zz
=== Other Languages ===
Most European languages use the same letters as the English alphabet but often less than the full 26 except in the case of imported words. Other languages have extended the alphabet with [[diacritic]]s<ref>Sometimes referred to as ''accented'' letter, e.g. á, ç, è, î, ñ, ü</ref>, [[digraph]]s<ref>Two letters that represent a single sound and are regarded as distinct from their individual components, such as ''ll'' in Welsh or Spanish</ref> and [[ligature]]s <ref>Two letters that are combined into one such as the German double-S: '''''ß'''''</ref>.
== Greek Alphabet ==
The Greek alphabet comprises the following characters:
[[Alpha|Αα]], [[Beta|Ββ]], [[Gamma|Γγ]], [[Delta|Δδ]], [[Epsilon|Εε]], [[Zeta|Ζζ]], [[Eta|Ηη]], [[Theta|Θθ]], [[Iota|Ιι]], [[Kappa|Κκ]], [[Lamda|Λλ]], [[Mu|Μμ]], [[Nu|Νν]], [[Xi|Ξξ]], [[Omicron|Οο]], [[Pi|Ππ]], [[Rho| Ρ ρ]], [[Sigma|Σσς]], [[Tau|Ττ]], [[Upsilon|Υυ]], [[Phi|Φφ]], [[Chi|Χχ]], [[Psi|Ψψ]], [[Omega|Ωω]]