What is the phoenician alphabet?

The Phoenician alphabet is an abjad, a script that uses only consonants, developed by the Phoenicians around the 15th century BC. It is considered one of the oldest alphabets still in use today, with its descendants including the Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin alphabets.

The Phoenician alphabet consists of 22 letters, each representing a single consonant sound. The direction of writing is from right to left, and there is no distinction between uppercase and lowercase letters.

The Phoenician alphabet was used for various purposes, including writing contracts, legal documents, and religious texts. It was also used for writing on stone, clay tablets, and other materials.

The Phoenician alphabet spread throughout the Mediterranean region thanks to the Phoenicians’ extensive trade and cultural influence. It was later adopted by other cultures, including the Greeks, who modified and expanded it to create their alphabet.

Here are the letters of the Phoenician alphabet along with their names and corresponding sounds:

Letter: ʾaleph

Name: 'aleph

Sound: glottal stop

Letter: bēt

Name: bēt

Sound: b

Letter: gīmel

Name: gīmel

Sound: g

Letter: dalet

Name: dalet

Sound: d

Letter: hē

Name: hē

Sound: h

Letter: waw

Name: waw

Sound: w

Letter: zayin

Name: zayin

Sound: z

Letter: chet

Name: chet

Sound: ch

Letter: ṭēt

Name: ṭēt

Sound: t

Letter: yōdh

Name: yōdh

Sound: y

Letter: kāph

Name: kāph

Sound: k

Letter: lamedh

Name: lamedh

Sound: l

Letter: mēm

Name: mēm

Sound: m

Letter: nūn

Name: nūn

Sound: n

Letter: samekh

Name: samekh

Sound: s

Letter: ʿayin

Name: ʿayin

Sound: ʿ (pharyngeal fricative)

Letter: pē

Name: pē

Sound: p

Letter: ṣādē

Name: ṣādē

Sound: ṣ (emphatic s)

Letter: qōph

Name: qōph

Sound: q

Letter: rēš

Name: rēš

Sound: r

Letter: shin

Name: shin

Sound: sh

Letter: tāw

Name: tāw

Sound: t