Where does “ἀλφάβητος” come from?
ἀλφάβητος (Koine Greek) comes from Ancient Greek ἄλφα, from Phoenician 𐤀𐤋𐤐, from Proto-Semitic *ʔalp- — thousand.
Ancestry of “ἀλφάβητος”, step by step
ἀλφάβητος traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Ancient Greek ἄλφα
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ἄλφα | alpha, the name for the first letter Α, α of the... |
| 2 | Phoenician | 𐤀𐤋𐤐 | thousand; bull, ox, head of cattle |
| 3 | Proto-Semitic | *ʔalp- | thousand |
via Ancient Greek βῆτᾰ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | βῆτᾰ | beta |