alphabet

Where does the word "alphabet" come from? It comes from Phoenician ʾālep, bēt, passing through Greek and Late Latin before entering English (1500s).

Alphabet’s story begins in Phoenician: ʾālep, bēt meant “ox, house.” The first two letters, meaning ox and house; the Greek letters came from this script. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Greek as alphabētos. Joined the first two letters, alpha and beta; Greeks adopted the Phoenician script through trade contact around 800 BC, and Herodotus credited the Phoenician Cadmus with bringing the letters. From there it passed into Late Latin as alphabetum by ancient. Used by Christian writers such as Tertullian. It reached English by 1500s as alphabet. Replaced the older English 'ABC'. Today, alphabet means the set of letters used to write a language.

1. Stage 1 · Phoenician · ancient ʾālep, bēt "ox, house", the first two letters, meaning ox and house; the Greek letters came from this script.
2. Stage 2 · Greek · ancient alphabētos "alpha-beta", joined the first two letters, alpha and beta; Greeks adopted the Phoenician script through trade contact around 800 BC, and Herodotus credited the Phoenician Cadmus with bringing the letters.
3. Stage 3 · Late Latin · ancient alphabetum "alphabet", used by Christian writers such as Tertullian.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1500s alphabet "set of letters", replaced the older English 'ABC'.