Show threadTim MillsFeb 15, 2024

The first is that some Euboean letter forms differed from their normal Greek counterparts in ways that foreshadowed (in hindsight) how Latin would look. Gamma, for example, was more of a "πŒ‚" in Euboea, where regular Greek Gamma was more "Ξ“". This is the letter that became our "C". And Greek delta "Ξ”" was more kind of lifted on the right - and sometimes rounded - like "πŒƒ". Thus our "D". There are others - sigma and rho. Cool!
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#WritingSystems #LatinAlphabet #GreekAlphabet #EtruscanAlphabet

Tim MillsFeb 15, 2024

So ... prepping my #WritingSystems class for next fall, and looking at the origins of the Latin alphabet. The Latin writing system is (mainly) derived from Etruscan (a language spoken around what is now central and northern Italy), which had adapted its writing from Greek.

Okay, but it was a particular flavour of Greek writing the Etruscans used, from Euboea (Ξ•α½”Ξ²ΞΏΞΉΞ±). There are two really cool things about Euboean Greek. (1/3)

#WritingSystems #LatinAlphabet #GreekAlphabet #EtruscanAlphabet