Numerology 

Names of Greek letters. Greek language and alphabet

The Greek alphabet is a writing system developed in Greece that first appears in archaeological sites in the 8th century BC. This was not the first writing system used to write Greek: several centuries before the Greek alphabet was invented, the Linear B script was the writing system used to write Greek in Mycenaean times. The Linear B script was lost around 10,000 BC, and with it all knowledge of writing disappeared from Greece before the Greek alphabet was developed.

The Greek alphabet was born when the Greeks adapted the Phoenician writing system to represent their own language, developing a fully phonetic writing system consisting of single characters arranged in a linear fashion that could represent both consonants and vowels. The earliest inscriptions from the Greek alphabet are graffiti carved on pots and pots. The graffiti found in Lefkandi and Eretria, the "Dipylon oinochoe" found in Athens, and the inscriptions in Nestor's "Pitekkusay" goblet date back to the second half of the 8th century BC and are the oldest known Greek letters ever recorded.

ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREEK ALPHABET
At the beginning of the first millennium BC, the Phoenicians, who originated in Lebanon, became successful maritime traders, and they gradually extended their influence to the west, establishing outposts throughout the Mediterranean basin. The Phoenician language belonged to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family, and it was closely related to the Canaanites and Hebrews. With them, the Phoenicians carried a commodity for trade, as well as another valuable commodity: their writing system.

The Phoenicians had a writing system similar to that used by other peoples in the Semitic Levant. They did not use ideograms; it was a phonetic writing system, consisting of a set of letters that represented sounds. Like modern Arabic and Hebrew writing systems, the Phoenician alphabet only had letters for consonants, not vowels. The Greeks took the Phoenician alphabet and made several key changes: they dropped those signs for which there was no consonant equivalent in Greek, and used them instead for individual vowel sounds. As a result, the Greek vowel letters A (alpha), E (epsilon), I (iota), O (omicron), Y (upsilon), and H (eta) emerged as adaptations of the Phoenician letters for consonants that were absent in Greek. By using separate characters to represent vowels and consonants, the Greeks created a writing system that, for the first time, could represent speech in an unambiguous way.

There are some significant benefits due to these changes. Although syllabic, logographic, and pictographic systems can sometimes be ambiguous in order to represent spoken language, the Greek alphabet can accurately represent speech. In the Middle East, as well as in the Aegean Bronze Age, writing was an art monopolized by specialists, scribes. All this would have changed in Greece after the Greek alphabet: the Greek alphabet had fewer characters, which made the writing system more accessible to those willing to learn.

What were the reasons that prompted the Greeks to apply such changes to the Phoenician alphabet? It is not entirely understood, but it seems likely that certain differences between Phoenician and Greek phonology played a role in this process. Although the Phoenician word begins with a vowel (only with a consonant), many Greek words have a vowel at the beginning. This means that unless the Phoenician alphabet was changed, it would be impossible to accurately write Greek. How these changes were made is also unknown. However, there are several conclusions that can be drawn from the available archaeological evidence. It is believed that the innovations were carried out by the Greeks in a single move. This is supported by the fact that classical Greek vowels are present in the earliest examples of Greek alphabetic writing, with the exception of only Ω (omega). In other words, there is no evidence of a stage in the development of the Greek alphabet, as far as we can tell from the earliest recorded examples: if, instead of a single move, the Greeks gradually implemented these innovations, we would expect to see examples of defective, inconsistent or incomplete vowel representations, but so far none of them has not been identified. This is one of the reasons why some believe that the Greek alphabet had one "inventor", or at least a certain moment of "invention".

In the earliest versions of the alphabet, the Greeks followed the Phoenician practice of writing from right to left, and the letters had a left orientation. This was followed by a period of bi-directional writing, meaning that the direction of writing was in one direction on one line, but in the opposite direction on the next, a practice known as boustrophedon. In boustrophed inscriptions, non-symmetrical letters changed orientation according to the direction of the line in which they were part. However, in the 5th century BC. e. The manual of Greek writing was standardized as left to right, and all letters adopted a fixed directional orientation.

LEGENDARY ACCOUNTS AT THE ORIGIN OF THE GREEK ALPHABET
The ancient Greeks were more or less aware of the fact that their alphabet was an adaptation of the Phoenician alphabet, and there were several reports of the alphabet being created in Ancient Greece. One famous example is Herodotus:

So, these Phoenicians, including the Gefirs, came with Kadmos and settled this land [Boeotia], and they passed on a lot of knowledge to the Hellenes and, in particular, taught them the alphabet, which, it seems to me, the Hellenes did not have before, but which was originally used by all Phoenicians. Over time, both the sound and the shape of the letters have changed (Herodotus, 5.58).

Kadmos, mentioned by Herodotus, is the Greek spelling for Cadmus, the legendary Phoenician of Greek folklore who was considered the founder and first king of Thebes in Boeotia. Interestingly, his name seems to be related to the Phoenician word qadm "east". Due to the alleged involvement of Cadmus and the Phoenicians in the transmission of the alphabet, in the 6th century BC. The Crete official with scribal duties was still called poinikastas "Phoenicianizer" and early writing was sometimes called "Cadmean letters". The Greeks called them the alphabets phoinikeia grammata, which can be translated as "Phoenician letters". Some Greeks, however, were unwilling to acknowledge the oriental influence of their alphabet, so they justified the origin of the name phoinikeia grammata with various apocryphal accounts: some said that the alphabet was invented by Phoenix, the tutor of Achilleus, while others said that the name was associated with the leaves of phoinix "palm tree".

SCRIPTS DERIVED FROM THE GREEK ALPHABET
There were several versions of the early Greek alphabet, broadly classified into two different groups: Eastern and Western alphabets. In 403 BC. E. Athens took the lead in unifying many versions of the alphabet, and one of the Eastern versions of the Greek alphabet was adopted as the official one. This official version gradually displaced all other versions in Greece and it became dominant. As Greek influence grew in the Mediterranean world, several communities came into contact with the Greek idea of ​​writing, and some of them developed their own writing systems based on the Greek model. The Western version of the Greek alphabet used by the Greek colonists in Sicily made its way to the Italian peninsula. The Etruscans and Messapians created their own alphabet based on the Greek alphabet, inspiring the old Italic scripts, the source of the Latin alphabet. In the Near East, the Carians, Lycians, Lydians, Pamphylians, and Phrygians also created their own versions of the alphabet based on Greek. When the Greeks gained control of Egypt during the Hellenistic period, the Egyptian writing system was replaced by the Coptic alphabet, which was also based on the Greek alphabet.

The Gothic alphabet, the Glagolitic alphabet, and the modern Cyrillic and Latin alphabets are ultimately derived from the Greek alphabet. Although the Greek alphabet is only used for the Greek language today, it is the root script of most of the scripts in use today in the Western world.

Greek language(in Greek ελληνικά (elinika)) belongs to the Greek group of languages ​​of the Indo-European language family, which is spoken by about 13 million people, mainly in Greece and Cyprus, where it is the official language. Greek is also recognized as an ethnic minority language in some regions of Italy, as well as in Albania, Armenia, Romania and Ukraine.

The first script in Greek was found in Mycenae, known as Linear B, which was used between 1500 and 1200 AD. BC. This type of Greek is known as Mycenaean. In Crete, another script known as the Cypriot syllabary was used to write the local dialect of Greek from 1200 to 300 BC.

Origin

The Greek alphabet has been in continuous use for the past 2,750 years or so, beginning in 750 BC. e. It originated from the Canaanite / Phoenician alphabet, in particular, the order and names of the letters were borrowed from the Phoenician. The original Canaanite meanings of the letters were lost when the alphabet was adapted to the Greek language. For example, the name of a letter in the Greek alphabet "alpha" came from the Canaanite aleph(bull), and "beta"- from beth(house).

In the beginning, there were different versions of the alphabet, which were used in different Greek cities. Local alphabets can be divided into three groups: green, blue and red. From the blue group came the modern Greek alphabet, and from the red group the Etruscan alphabet, as well as other alphabets of ancient Italy, and eventually the Latin alphabet.

At the beginning of the IV century. BC e. local variants of the alphabet replaced the Eastern Ionian alphabet. The capital letters of the modern Greek alphabet are nearly identical to those of the Ionian alphabet. Lowercase Greek letters appeared around 800. Their appearance is associated with the Byzantine cursive script, which, in turn, evolved from cursive writing.

Peculiarities

  • Type of writing: alphabet (the first alphabet, which included vowels).
  • Writing direction: originally - horizontally from right to left, and there was also a boustrophedon variant ( βουστροφηδόν ), in which the direction of writing alternated - from right to left and from left to right. After 500 BC. e. the direction of writing was established from left to right, horizontally.
  • Diacritics for stress and aspiration were added to the alphabet around 200 BC. e. In 1982, the breath diacritics, which had been infrequently used after 1976, were formally abolished by presidential decree.
  • At the letter "sigma" there is a special form that is used at the end of a word.

As is known

Greek (Ελληνικά)- one of the Indo-European languages, which is spoken by about 14 million people, mainly in Greece and Cyprus, for which this language is official. Greek is also recognized as a national minority language partly in Turkey, Italy and Albania.

Today, the Greek alphabet is used only for writing in Greek, although in the past at various times it was also used by such languages ​​as Lydian, Phrygian, Thracian, Gaulish, Hebrew, Arabic, Old Ossetian, Albanian, Turkish, Aromanian, Gagauz, Urum and sealing wax.

ancient greek alphabet

The ancient Greek alphabet is based on inscriptions from Crete dated to about 800 BC. e. At this time, the Greek language used the direction of writing from right to left, horizontally. The names of the letters were slightly different from the names in the later versions of the Greek alphabet.

Greek alphabet (classical Attic phonetic transcription)

Note

Σ = [z] before voiced consonants

diphthongs

Combinations of consonant sounds | Special character

Greek numerals and other symbols

The ancient Greeks used two number systems: The Acrophonic or Classical (Attic) system used the letters iota, delta, gamma, eta, nu and mu in various combinations. These letters were used as the first letters of numeral names, except for the letter iota: Γ έντε (gente) for 5, which became Π έντε (pente); Δ έκα (Deka) for 10, Η ἑκατόν (Hektaton) for 100, Χ ίλιοι (Khilioi) for 1,000 and Μ ύριον (Myrion) for 10,000. This system was used until the first century BC.

The ancient Greeks assigned numerical values ​​to the letters of the alphabet to represent numbers. Three obsolete letters, stigma, koppa, and sampi, were used in addition to the standard Greek letters, and the apostrophe symbol was used to indicate that the letters were used as numerals.

Greek alphabet (modern phonetic transcription)

Notes

  • Γ = [γ] before back vowels. Pronounced as [ʝ] before front vowels and rendered as γ
  • Κ = [k] before back vowels, and [c] before front vowels
  • Λ = [ʎ] before an unstressed i followed by another vowel, e.g. λιώμα [ʎóma]
  • Ν = [ɲ] before an unstressed i followed by another vowel, e.g. νιώθω [ɲóθo]
  • When [i] is preceded by a voiced consonant and followed by another vowel, [i] becomes [ʝ], for example, διάκος [ðʝákos]. When [i] is preceded by a voiceless consonant and followed by another vowel, [i] is pronounced as [ç], for example, φωτιά. In both cases, this sound is unstressed.
  • Σ = [z] before voiced consonants
  • Χ = [χ] before back vowels, and [ç] before front vowels

diphthongs

Notes

  • αυ = before vowels and voiced consonants; in another position.
  • ευ = before vowels and voiced consonants; in another position.
  • ηυ = before vowels and voiced consonants; in another position.
  • ντ = in the middle of a word; [d] at the beginning.
  • μπ = in the middle of a word; [b] at the beginning.
  • γγ & γκ = [ŋg] in the middle of a word; [g] at the beginning. If this sound combination is followed by [i] or [e], it is pronounced as [ŋɟ] in the middle of words and [ɟ] at the beginning.
  • Diarese is used to indicate the separate pronunciation of vowels, for example Αϊτή . However, if the first of the two letters is stressed, the sharp sign is optional, for example γάιδαρος [γáiðaros].
  • If the consonants κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, and τσ: are preceded by a word that ends in v, they become voiced, and N in the final position becomes the corresponding nasal sound, e.g. τον πατέρα .


αA Alpha is the first letter of the alphabet, its literal meaning is "ox" or, more generally, "cattle". Like the corresponding Hebrew letter, Alpha, first of all, is interpreted as a symbol of movable property in all its aspects - both material and spiritual. With the advent of minting coins, their value was expressed in the number of heads of cattle - hence the word “capital” itself (from the Latin “caput” - “head”). The esoteric essence of Alpha involves the care of horned livestock, i.e., the multiplication and wise use of this wealth. Life is a fleeting phenomenon and therefore wealth should be disposed of in such a way that it becomes the property of all and subsequent generations can also enjoy its benefits. Alpha has interesting parallels in the Hebrew and runic alphabets, where the first letters mean the same thing - rich herds of cattle. In the Hebrew alphabet, this is the letter Aleph, denoting the sound "a", in the runic alphabet - Feo, denoting the sound "f". And yet, despite their phonetic difference, in the symbolism of these alphabets, cattle are considered as the most important condition for the existence of society, and in the modern sense, this is a certain stage of human development when alphabets arise. In numerical terms, Alpha symbolizes the paramount and most important - the main concern for the maintenance of human life; Gnostic symbolism speaks of a "triple Alpha", the symbolic Holy Trinity. The number of the word "Alpha" in gematria is 532.

βВ Beta is the second letter of the alphabet, which has defiant and even demonic properties. Numerically, it denotes the number 2; she is the next, not the first, and therefore is regarded as a violator of unity, and in dualistic religions she is identified with a demonic challenge to the one God. Often this challenging challenger is referred to as "another first" (as in modern Sweden), in tribute to the atmosphere of challenge created by this second, who is always trying to take the place of the first by rivalry or overthrow. In Mithraism, the demonic god of the fall also has the epithet "another first." This is Angra Mainyu, challenging God and destroying his unity. In Christian terminology, the negative aspect is embodied in the image of the devil. However, this aspect of the Second also carries with it the possibility of reunion. Without the Second, the monad, perfect in itself, is devoid of coherence and thus cannot exist. All religions that acknowledge the existence of a creator of the universe come to terms with this necessity, represented here symbolically by the letter Beta. In addition, some argue that the second quality is not necessarily the diametrical opposite of the original principle. The name "Beta" in gematria corresponds to the digital value 308.

γГ Gamma is the third letter of the alphabet. It denotes the number 3 and symbolizes piety and holiness. Just as a child is born from a father and mother, so a third entity naturally arises from the monad and its antipode. In a general sense, the letter Gamma symbolizes the trinity of the deity, which is found everywhere. For example, the goddess in three forms is a phenomenon known throughout the Mediterranean, as well as throughout continental Europe and even in the north. The inhabitants of Babylon worshiped the triad of Anu, Enlius and Ea; the Egyptians honored Isis, Osiris and Horus; the Anglo-Saxons deified Woden, Frigga and Thunor, while the Vikings revered Odin, Thor and Balder. In Christian terminology, Gamma denotes the trinity - God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In terms of esoteric symbolism, Gamma denotes the triple nature of the process: creation, existence and destruction; beginning, middle and end; birth, life and death. It is the third phase, the phase of the waning moon, leading to the fading of light, that indicates the hidden meaning of a new birth in a new cycle. It is the child, this third entity, that outlives its parents. In the Greek context, Gamma has a more specific meaning, this letter is associated with the three goddesses of fate: Clotho, Atropos and Lachesis; Roman parallel - Nonna, Decima and Morga; three graces and even three Prophetic Sisters of the old English tradition. Gamma has the number 85 in gematria.

δD Delta represents the four classical elements of the universe - fire, air, water and earth. For about seven thousand years, since the construction of the first temples of archaic ancient European culture in the Balkans, quadrangularity has been associated with traces of human activity. Quadrangular structures are built easier than round ones, according to the four sides of the body of any human being: back, face, right and left side. Delta thus became the first element of human intervention aimed at changing the world, which is in a primitive state. The unusual number 4 is the four directions, the four horses in the cart known as the quadriga, and (in Christian eschatology) the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. It is a symbol of completeness on the material level and the quality of completeness. In gematria, the word "Delta" means the number 340.

εΕ Epsilon personifies the spiritual element contained in the material and at the same time outside it. These are Aeon and Ether, the fifth element, known among alchemists as "quintessence" (equivalent to "Noivre" in the tradition of the Celtic bards). Whatever it is called, the strength of its spirit is the subtle energy of life, the "breath of life", known to the Greeks under the name "Pneuma"; on it rests all existence of life (its esoteric number is 576). Traditionally, this element is depicted as a pentagram in the form of a five-pointed star. In magical writing, the pentagram thus replaces the letter Epsilon. It contains the sacred proportions of the golden ratio, one of the three principles of sacred geometry, which were envisaged in the design of the most sacred and beautiful temples of ancient Greece, such as the Parthenon in Athens and the temple of Zeus in Olympia. Epsilon, as an expression of mathematical proportion, is in a mystical connection with Lambda, the eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Gnostic tradition, Epsilon represents the second heaven. In digital terms, Epsilon means the number 5. In gematria, the digital sum of this word is 445.

ζZ Zeta, the sixth letter of the alphabet, denotes the giving of gifts to God or sacrifice. This should not be taken literally as a killing for the sake of sacrifice, but rather as an offering of energy to assist in the creative process of creation. In an esoteric sense, Zeta is the seventh letter of the alphabet, since the sixth letter was Digamma (F), removed before the beginning of the classical period and used only as a number. As the seventh, and yet the sixth letter, Zeta signifies the formative principle of the cosmos. According to biblical tradition, the universe was created for six days, and the seventh day of rest was intended for completion. Geometrically, too, the number six is ​​the guiding principle of matter, forming the hexagonal lattices that underlie the structure of matter. The six points of the hexagonal grid are needed to fit inside the seventh point. The image equivalent to Zeta is the pattern associated with the archangel Michael: six equidistant dots around the seventh. This magical symbol can still be seen today as a protective sign on old English and German houses. Zeta means the number 7, the gematric sum of its name is 216.

ηH This is the seventh letter of the alphabet, more in number than in a conceptual sense, symbolizes the energy of joy and love. This is the letter of balance - a quality that implies harmony with the outside world and the ability to be in the right place at the right time and fully reveal your potential. A more detailed description of the harmony represented by the letter Eta can be found in pre-Copernican cosmology, which reveals the divine harmony of the seven planets and seven spheres. Thus, Eta can symbolize the so-called "music of the spheres". Mark the Gnostic placed the letter Eta in the ensemble of the third heaven: “The first heaven sounds Alpha, it is echoed by Ε (Epsilon), and the third Eta ...” In the Christian science of numbers, Eta represents the desire for improvement, renewal and salvation. But in the digital sense, Eta stands for the number 8 - the main number of the Sun. In gematria, the word Eta has the sum 309 - the number of the god of war Ares and the planet Mars.

θΘ Theta - the eighth letter of the alphabet - means the sound "T" with aspiration. Theta symbolizes the eighth, crystal sphere, to which, according to ancient cosmology, the fixed stars are attached. Thus, it is a symbol of balance and unification. In the traditional European way of life, Theta symbolizes the octal division of time and space. However, in the numbering system, this letter denotes the number 9, which indicates an esoteric connection between the numbers 8 and 9, and this relationship is emphasized by the magical properties of two luminaries: the Sun and the Moon. According to gematria, the numerical value of the word "Theta" is 318; This is the number of the sun god Helios.

ι Ι Iota, despite its smallest size, symbolizes fate. It is dedicated to the goddess of fate Ananka and thus also to the three parks. Ananke is in gematric relationship with the Great God Pan, since Ananke's numerical value is 130, and Pan's is 131. It follows that the smallest letter is a microcosm of all others associated with Pan through complex gematric numerology. After all, symbolically the smallest part of the universe contains the entire universe at the level of the microcosm. The letter Iota means the number 10, which is considered the fourth heaven in the Gnostic branch of the Christian faith. In Gematria, the word "Iota" has the number 381, the number of the wind god Eol. As a symbol of fate, she acquired inconstancy - a quality inherent in the changeable winds of fate. She is a symbol of insignificance, if something is not even worth an iota, but when someone tempts fate without thinking one iota about what is important for him, then this seemingly unimportant detail can turn against him and bring bad luck.
κ Κ Kappa is considered the letter that brings bad luck, sickness, old age and death. According to this property, it is dedicated to the god Kron. In Mithraism, this tenth letter of the Greek alphabet is associated with the evil god Angra Mainyu, who, in turn, is likened to a thousand (10x10x10) deadly demons. There is an opinion that Angra Mainyu is the lord of 10,000 various diseases with which he punishes the human race. On a more abstract level, Kappa is the letter of time, the bearer of inevitable and inexorable processes. In this respect, it is related to the Ken rune, which personifies the inexorable process of the fire element. Kappa means the number 20. In gematria, its name has the number 182.

λΛ Lambda is associated with plant growth and geometric progressions in mathematics, which express the basic principle of any organic growth. Mystically, it is associated with a geometric proportion known as the Golden Section. As the eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet, Lambda represents the ascent to a higher level. Mathematically, this is proved by the example of two Lambda progressions: geometric and arithmetic, the main numerical series of ancient Greek mathematics. On a more abstract level, Lambda refers to the incremental sequences of numbers that underlie all physical processes. In the runic alphabet, we find a direct correspondence to this Greek letter - the rune Lagu, which is also associated with growth and denotes the sound "L". Similar characteristics are characteristic of the Hebrew letter Lamed. Lambda stands for the number 30, and in gematria, its name gives the number 78.

μΜ Mu, the twelfth letter of the alphabet, represents the sacred number 40. This letter is associated with trees, the largest, most powerful, and most enduring of the plant kingdom. The tree is a symbol of the cosmic axis. It is a link connecting the underground, earthly and heavenly worlds. Its roots grow underground - in the kingdom of Hades. It penetrates the surface of the earthly world, on which humanity lives, and then rushes upwards, to the heavenly empyreans of gods and goddesses. The very shape of the letter Mu symbolizes stability and inviolability, enclosure, security and the connection between the three states of being. Considering the gematric value of the word "Mu" - 440, its meaning is strengthened and increased, since the number 440 is the sum of the letters in the word "house" ("O OIKOΣ"), the main symbol of protection from the horrors and dangers of the outside world. the twelfth letter, it means all 12 months of the year, the completed cycle of everything living on Earth.

νN Nu is the thirteenth letter. The number 13 has gloomy semantic connections - in this case, with the witchcraft aspect of the Great Goddess Hekate. The Greeks revered Hekate as the goddess of the night and the underworld. There is also a connection with the Egyptian goddess Nut and with the later Scandinavian goddess of the night, Not. Like its runic counterpart Nid, the letter Nu symbolizes an unpleasant necessity; the darkness of the night as a necessity for the day to shine again. The number of this letter is 50, and in gematria its name gives the sum 450.
ξΞ Xi is the fourteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. According to the esoteric interpretation of the alphabet, this letter represents the stars, as the fifteenth letter represents the sun and moon, and the sixteenth represents Mithra himself. This fourteenth letter can be interpreted according to medieval astrology as stars, or rather as "15 Stars", which had their occult signs in medieval astrology. These stars and constellations are extremely significant and important, as certain qualities and influences are traditionally attributed to them. These fixed stars are above all others, and the strength of their power is undeniable. For a medieval magician who made talismans, the individual characteristics of each of the 15 stars were the basis of his work. In doing so, he took into account not only the prevailing properties inherent in each individual planet, but also took into account the influence of the members of the star fifteen related to this. In standard astrology, these stars are also considered to have specific and peculiar properties. As a result, they are treated in the same way as the most famous planets. These stars are called: Pleiades, Aldebaran, Algol, Capella, Sirius, Procyon, Regulus, Algorab, Spica, Arcturus, Polaris, Alphecca, Antares, Vega and Deneb. This letter stands for the number 60, a favorite number in ancient Babylonian astronomy. In gematria, the name "Xi" has a sum of 615.

OO Omicron is the power of the sun enclosed in a circle, the source of all energy on Earth, various aspects of which are symbolically represented by the gods Helios and Apollo. The round shape of the letter recalls the appearance of the sun and the eternal essence of light in the midst of cosmic darkness. In a later interpretation, Omicron symbolizes Christ as the bearer of light. On the other hand, Omicron represents the moon - the mirror of the sun. The Gnostics designate the fifth heaven with this letter. It has a numerical value of 70, and in gematria it is 1090.
πП The letter Pi also symbolizes the sun in a blaze of glory, but this time not a disk, but a round shape surrounded by sixteen rays, which are identified with all solar deities, including Apollo, Serapis and Christ. More specifically, she is associated with Mithra, who, according to the Persian Avestan calendar, was dedicated to the sixteenth day of each month. The sun, surrounded by sixteen rays, becomes the property of Christian art much later, where it is also associated with the name of God (for example, the Royal Collegiate Chapel, Cambridge, see Fig. 8). Pi stands for the number 80; the gematric sum of the word "Pi" is 101.

ρΡ Rho is the seventeenth letter of the Greek alphabet, it represents the creative feminine qualities that are in any thing and are inherent in both sexes - both male and female. More specifically, this is understood as fertility, the strength of the development of the entire plant world and the ability of a living organism to reproduce. Rho symbolizes unlimited adaptability and mobility, which lead to "becoming", that is, creation in all its aspects. Thus, the letter Ro, as it were, anticipates the meaning of its runic counterpart Rad, also associated with movement and fluidity. Arithmetically, this letter stands for the number 100; the gematric sum of its name is 170, the same as the Greek word "O AMHN" - "amen", "so be it".
σΣ Sigma is the Lord of Death; in the Greek pantheon, she is a symbol of Hermes Psychopomp, the guide of souls to the afterlife. Being the eighteenth in a row, it is associated with the mysterious eighteenth rune of the Scandinavian tradition, as well as with the esoteric properties of the eighteenth letter of the Gaelic alphabet. In the Mithraic tradition, she symbolizes Rashna, the second brother of Mithra, the god of the underworld. It stands for the number 200, and the gematric value of its name is 254.

τΤ Tau is a microcosm, and in a narrower sense - the lunar aspect of man. The cross of the letter Tau often served as the main pictographic form of the representation of the human body. It apparently comes from the ancient Egyptian inscription of the Ankh sign, a symbol of eternal life, used in magic as an amulet against infertility. In Christian iconography, Tau represents the cross. This could be the bronze serpent of Moses, or the Old Testament rod of Aaron - the "anti-heroes" of the Old Testament, foreshadowing the appearance of a "hero", i.e., the Cross of the Savior. Naturally, Tau also represents the cross on which Christ was crucified, since the shape "Tau" is the true form of the crosses used by the Romans for crucifixions. It is this form of the cross that can be seen in many medieval and Renaissance images of the crucifixion of Christ and two robbers. In esoteric Christian symbolism, the three ends of the letter Tau represent the trinity. The arithmetic value of Tau is 300; according to the rules of gematria, this letter represents the moon goddess Selene (ΣEΛHNH), whose name has a numerical value of 301. The geometric value of the word "Tau" is 701, which traditionally correlates with the number of the so-called "Chrismon" - the monogram of Christ, consisting of the letters Chi and Rho, which add up to 700.
υY Upsilon - the twentieth letter of the alphabet - denotes water and fluidity properties. Here, in contrast to the creative generative fluidity of Ro, these qualities are associated with the element of water. Upsilon represents properties that are similar to flowing water and are difficult to define, but at the same time are essential for the continuation of life. The number 20 in Greek mysticism is also associated with water. Plato's geometric body called the icosahedron, representing the element of water in esoteric geometry, has twenty faces. Gnostic tradition associates the letter Upsilon with the "sixth heaven". Its arithmetic value is 400. In gematria, the name "Ypsilon" is equivalent to 1260.

φΦ Phi is the phallus, the male principle of reproduction. Phi denotes the number 500. In gematria, this number is identified with the mystical shell (ENΔYMA) - the manifestation of the spiritual element in the world of forms. The letter is also a display of the word "to Pan" - that is, "everything". According to the Greek tradition, it symbolizes the great god Pan - the one who binds everything that exists into a single natural integrity. His name contains the number 500, denoted by the letter Phi; according to gematria, this number is equivalent to the number of the universe (501). The gematric value of the word "phi" is 510.

χX Chi is the twenty-second letter of the alphabet, denoting the cosmos, and on the human level, private property. Chi number - 600; this number is equivalent to the gematric sums of the Greek words "Cosmos" (KOΣMOΣ) and "deity" ("О FEOTНΣ)" (the latter is the sacred component of the former). Chi is an indicator of property that defines the boundaries of what has already been appropriated. It is also a symbol of the presented a gift that connects a person with a person in the horizontal plane, and if you look vertically, this is the link of the unity of the gods with humanity.Only in its form, but not phonetically, the letter Chi is related to the Gifu rune (in the letter X, phonetically "G") , which symbolizes the giving of gifts to the gods or receiving gifts from them.In gematria, the word "Chi" is equivalent to the number 610.

ψΨ Psi - the twenty-third letter of the alphabet, denoting heavenly light, embodied in the sky god Zeus. It also has a secondary meaning, i.e., daylight, and more specifically, the climax of noon. From here, this letter corresponds to the moment of insight, clear and precise vision. It stands for the number 700, the gematric sum of the Christian monogram Chi-Rho, symbolizing the heavenly radiance of Christ. The gematric value of the word "Psi" is 710, which corresponds to the words "piston" (PIΣTON) ("faithful") and "pneuma agion" (PNEYMA AGION) ("Holy Spirit").

ωΩ Omega - the twenty-fourth and last letter of the alphabet, denoting wealth and abundance, the successful completion of affairs. This is the apotheosis, the seventh heaven of the Gnostics. Its numerical value is 800, the equivalent of the words "pistis" (1SHLTS) ("faith") and "curios" (KYPIOΣ) ("master"). In gematria, the word "Omega" gives the sum 849, which is equivalent to the word "scheme" (ΣXHMA) ("plan"). Thus, Omega is the embodiment of faith and the divine plan in both pagan and Christian interpretations of the word "Lord", be it Zeus or Jesus.

The set of letters in the Greek system. lang., located in the accepted order (see table below). Letters G. a. used in publications in Russian. lang. as symbols mat. and physical designations. In the original, the letters G. a. it is customary to enclose in a circle of red ... ... Publishing Dictionary

Greek alphabet- The Greeks first used consonant letters. In 403 BC. e. under Archon Euclid, the classical Greek alphabet is introduced in Athens. It consisted of 24 letters: 17 consonants and 7 vowels. Letters were first introduced to represent vowels; α, ε, η … Dictionary of linguistic terms T.V. Foal

This article is about the Greek letter. For the Cyrillic numerical sign, see the article Kopp (Cyrillic) Greek alphabet Α α alpha Β β beta ... Wikipedia

Self-name: Ελληνικά Countries: Greece ... Wikipedia

Language Self-name: Ελληνικά Countries: Greece, Cyprus; communities in the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Albania, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Italy ... Wikipedia

It is the latest development in the history of writing. This name denotes a series of written characters arranged in a certain constant order and conveying approximately completely and accurately all the individual sound elements of which the given language is composed ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

This term has other meanings, see Alphabet (meanings). Wiktionary has an entry for "alphabet" Alphabet... Wikipedia

Alphabet- [Greek. ἀλφάβητος, from the names of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet alpha and beta (modern Greek vita)] a system of written signs that convey the sound image of the words of the language through symbols depicting individual sound elements. Invention… … Linguistic Encyclopedic Dictionary

It is the latest phenomenon in the history of writing (see Letter). This name denotes a series of written characters arranged in a certain constant order and transmitting approximately completely and accurately all the individual sound elements, of which ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

ALPHABET- a set of letters or similar characters used in writing, where each letter stands for one or more phonemes. Alphabets were not the oldest basis of writing, having developed from hieroglyphs or written images used, ... ... Symbols, signs, emblems. Encyclopedia

Books

  • Introduction to Ancient Greek. Textbook for academic baccalaureate, Titov O.A. The textbook discusses a brief history of the development of the Greek language from ancient times to the present day, gives the Greek alphabet, reading rules, types and features of stress. ...
  • Introduction to Ancient Greek 2nd ed., rev. and additional Textbook for academic baccalaureate, Oleg Anatolyevich Titov. The textbook discusses a brief history of the development of the Greek language from ancient times to the present day, gives the Greek alphabet, reading rules, types and features of stress. ...

Hello friends! I open a new topic on the site - Greek alphabet and Greek language. This topic is of interest to many, because not only all European culture comes from Greece, but also many languages.

Or rather, many alphabets were created on the basis of Greek. The Greek alphabet gave life to the Latin alphabet, the Cyrillic alphabet, the Armenian alphabet and others, which have now gone into oblivion. It would be great if the Chinese alphabet was also from Greek! 🙂

Wikipedia writes in great detail about the history of the Greek alphabet:. The most remarkable thing is that we all know the Greek letters and the Greek script. The letters of the Greek alphabet are used in mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology ... All our school, and then student years, Greek letters accompany us in textbooks and notebooks.

Greek alphabet letters

And here it is - the Greek alphabet in all its glory. And only 24 letters, and what a wealth of language!

Under an asterisk:

  • γ pronounced softly, aspirated, reminiscent of the Ukrainian "g"
  • δ does not have an exact match in Russian, it resembles the English voiced th - it is pronounced aspirated
  • θ does not have an exact match in Russian, it resembles the English voiceless th - it is pronounced aspirated
  • ς written only at the end of a word.

It is interesting that these very voiced and deaf th did not come to me when I was learning English. Here, in Greece, I learned to pronounce them correctly - δ and θ.

The modern Greek alphabet of 24 letters was created in 403 BC. by order of Euclid, the then Athenian ruler, and had the goal of creating a single alphabet for the entire Greek-speaking world. The more ancient alphabet consisted of 28 letters, and each letter had a certain numerical value. The Phoenician alphabet served as the prototype for the Greek alphabet. Thus, the earlier writing of Greece, which existed in the Mycenaean era - the Cretan Linear B, which existed in the 15-12 centuries BC, has nothing to do with the modern alphabet. By the way, I saw a sample of this letter in the museum of ancient Mycenae.

Many of you are planning a holiday in Greece, Halkidiki now or in the future. There is still time to learn basic Greek communication phrases. And I will try to help you with this!

Tell me, did the Greek alphabet seem difficult to you? Greek is not the easiest language, but to master it is to better understand the soul of Greece. Are you interested in Greek? Please write in the comments!

And now listen to a live speech - a satirical program by Lakis Lazopoulos, an anecdote about a cuckoo clock (almost like ours):