Greek Alphabet

The English word “alphabet” is derived from the names of the first two Greek letters, alpha and beta. The invention of the Greek alphabet is ascribed to Cadmus, the son of Agenor, king of Phoenicia, in the fourteenth century B.C. The Greek alphabet is a set of 24 letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th century B.C. Beginning in the 2nd century B.C., the letters were also used to represent Greek numerals. The Greek alphabet is descended from the Phoenician alphabet and has given rise to many other alphabets used in Europe and the Middle East, including the Latin alphabet. In addition to being used for writing the New Testament, its letters are today employed as symbols in science and mathematics, as particle names in physics, as components of star names, in the names of fraternities and sororities, in the naming of supernumerary tropical cyclones, and for various other purposes.