Where does “alfabet” come from?
alfabet (West Frisian) comes from Dutch alfabet, from Middle Dutch alphabeet, from Latin alphabētum, from Byzantine Greek ἀλφάβητον, from Ancient Greek ἀλφάβητος, from Ancient Greek ἄλφα, from Phoenician 𐤀𐤋𐤐, from Proto-Semitic *ʔalp-.
alfabet (West Frisian): alphabet
Ancestry of “alfabet”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | alfabet | alphabet |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | alphabeet | — |
| 3 | Latin | alphabētum | — |
| 4 | Byzantine Greek | ἀλφάβητον | accusative singular of ἀλφάβητος; alphabet |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀλφάβητος | alphabet |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἄλφα | alpha, the name for the first letter Α, α of the... |
| 7 | Phoenician | 𐤀𐤋𐤐 | thousand; bull, ox, head of cattle |
| 8 | Proto-Semitic | *ʔalp- | — |