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Early Greek Alphabet - gk-letrs.htm
Shapes related to modern PMF: (color coded if form corresponds to pictographic monofon)
- < gamma in Byzantium. The PMF gamma is reversed > (most gammas are flipped Ls)
- D delta with sharp corners in Euboea
- F shaped digamma (Sem. VAU /waw/) in most cities - note the downward slant of the top bar.
- N form used for M, rotated form used for N (looks like a horizontally flipped h)
- Y-form upsilon /eepsilaun/ corresponds to PMF yard and /ih-yuh/
- Rho - note the tail on the R - where did this come from? Not found in any Semitic form
- Pi looks like a vertically flipped L - same as gamma but with a hook
Source: Chapter 2 of Sign, Symbol, and Script, by Leila Arvin
See also A History of the Writing by Albertine Gaur
Albright's Schematic Table of Proto Sinaitic Characters
Greek Sounds What were the original Greek sounds associated with these shapes?
Alphabet - More on the origins of the alphabet (Sem. alefbet)
Shapes and Sounds - Selecting the appropriate shape or sign design for 40 sound categories
Pictographic Monofon - A pictographic or iconic solution to the problem of remembering shapes for sounds.
Simplified Spelling Page - Proposals for the reform of traditional English spelling (TO)
