Aramaic Language/Alphabet

The Assyrian alphabet, or Syriac alphabet, is a writing system used to write the Syriac language from the 1st century AD.[1] It is a Semitic abjad (akin to the Arabic alphabet) that descends from the Aramaic alphabet. Assyrian is written from right to left. It is a cursive script where some, but not all, letters connect within a word. The alphabet consists of 22 letters, all of which are consonants. The vowel sounds are supplied either by the reader's memory or by optional diacritic marks.

Alphabet table edit

The Assyrian alphabet (which is in the Syriac script) consists of the following letters:

Letter Name Letter Transliteration Pronunciation
Alap   A [ʔ], [a]
Beyth   B [b], [v]
Gamal   G [ɡ], [ɣ]
Dalath   D [d], [ð]
Heh   H [h]
Waw   W [w]
Zayn   Z [z]
Kheyth   Kh, Ḥ [ħ], [x]
Teyth   Emphatic T [tˤ]
Yod   Y, I [j], [i]
Kap   K [k]
Lamad   L [i]
Meem   M [m]
Noon   N [n]
Simkath   S [s]
'Eh   ', E [ʕ], [e]
Peh   P, F [p], [f]
Sadeh   Emphatic S [sˤ]
Qop   Guttural Q [q]
Resh   R [r]
Sheen   Sh, Š [ʃ]
Taw   T, Th [t], [θ]

References edit

  1. "Syriac alphabet". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved June 16, 2012.