Greek Alphabet – 8 Must Know Facts about the Greek Alphabet

The Greek Alphabet has fascinated a lot of people from ancient to modern times. It has been a part of the western world since the dawn of history and is still very much a part of us today. If you want to know more about the amazing facts about it, then read on the must know facts about the Greek Alphabet:

Greek Alphabet – Is the Mother of Modern Alphabet

A majority of all the languages based in the west, or European in origin can trace their alphabet to the one used by the Greeks directly or indirectly. Isn’t it amazing that we can trace a huge part of our collective cultures from the Greek advancements including having a developed writing system?

Greek Alphabet – Is Not Originally Greek

It has roots from Phoenicia. According to legends, a Phoenician named Cadmus brought the alphabet to Greece. This has been proven by language experts who can attest that the Greek letter forms indeed have letter forms similar to the ones used by Phoenicians thousands of years ago.

Greek Alphabet – Is More Than 3,000 Years Old

Although it could be older, it is estimated that the Greek letter forms was first made around 1000 to 800 years before the birth of Christ, which makes it around 3,000 years old as of today. Prior to this time, writing is not a common or a known practice for the Greeks. After being introduced to Greece about 1000-800 BC, it has flourished and spread across what is present day Europe at that time and now, the whole world.

Greek Alphabet – Is From Where the Term Alphabet Came From

We would not even have the word ‘alphabet’ if not from the first two letters of the Greek Alphabet. It was derived from the first two letters, alpha and beta, which when fused and shortened gave rise to the term ‘alphabet’.

Greek Alphabet – Is Used as a Counting System Too

The Roman Numerals and Numbers uses letter forms or symbols derived from the Greek Alphabet.

Greek Alphabet – Is Used in Science and Math

We would not have mathematical formulas if not with the use of the letter forms from the alphabet. Their use makes it possible to represent complex mathematical concepts into simplified and much shortened form.

Greek Alphabet – Why is it used by Sororities and Fraternities

It is often a case that a sorority or a fraternity would have a name which sounds like the pronunciation of the Greek Letters. The reason for this is that sororities and fraternities often name themselves to represent their motto. They use the initials of their motto to name their group in Greek to maintain the anonymity of what they stand for.

Greek Alphabet – Why is it Significant?

Without the Greek Alphabet, we would not have our western form of writing that we have today. Perhaps we would be writing in Chinese characters or maybe in Arabic. The world would be totally different. As the modern alphabet (which is derived from the Greek one) is very easy to learn and can be adapted for use by almost all languages, it has enabled the fast transport of information, from which we owe what we have as internet and globalization today.

Greek Alphabet – 8 Must Know Facts about the Greek Alphabet