Syriac alphabet

'''The Syriac alphabet''' is used for writing the Syriac language. It is clearly related to other alphabets used to write Semitic languages.

General remarks

Syriac is written from right to left. It is a cursive (joined-up) script, where some, but not all, letters connect within a word. The alphabet consists of 22 letters, all of which are consonants. The vowel sounds are supplied by the reader's memory or by pointing (a system of diacritical marks to indicate the correct reading). In fact, three letters act as matres lectionis: rather than being a consonant, they indicate a vowel. The first letter, 'âlaph, often represents a glottal stop, but it can also indicate a vowel at the beginning or the end of a word. The letter waw is technically a w, but can also represent the vowels o and u. Likewise, the letter yôdh represents the consonant y, but it also stands for the vowels i and e.

Forms of the Syriac alphabet

There are three major variations of the Syriac alphabet. The oldest and classical form of the alphabet is estrangelâ (the name is derived from the Greek description στρογγυλη, strongylê, rounded). Although estrangelâ is no longer used as the main script for writing Syriac, it has received a bit of a revival. It is often used in scholarly publications (for instance, the Leiden University version of the Peshitta), in titles and inscriptions. The West Syriac dialect is usually written in the sertâ ('line') form of the alphabet. Most of the letters are obviously derived from estrangelâ, but are simplified, flowing lines. The western script is usually vowel-pointed with miniature Greek vowel letters above or below the letter which they follow: Α (capital alpha) represents a, α (lowercase alpha) represents â (pronounced as an o), ε (lowercase epsilon) represents e and ê, Ι (capital iota) represents î, and a combined symbol of Υ (capital upsilon) and ο (lowercase omicron) represents û. The East Syriac dialect is usually written in the madnhâyâ ('eastern') form of the alphabet. Unfortunately, it is often called nestorian, a term that was originally used to disparage Christians living in the Persian Empire. The eastern script resembles estrangelâ more closely than the western script. The eastern script uses a system of dots above or below letters to indicate vowels. When Arabic began to be the dominant spoken language in Fertile Crescent, texts were often written in Arabic with the Syriac script. These writings are usually called Karshuni or Garshuni.

Syriac estrangelâ script

Letter	Normal format	Final connected	Final unconnected	Unicode character	Pronunciation
'Âlaph	image:aramaic_alap.png			ܐ	ʔ (glottal stop) or silent
Bêth	image:aramaic_beth.png	image:aramaic_beth_c.png		ܒ	hard: b (voiced bilabial plosive) soft: v (voiced labiodental fricative) or w (labial-velar approximant)
Gâmal	image:aramaic_gamal.png	image:aramaic_gamal_c.png		ܓ	hard: g (voiced velar plosive) soft: ɣ (voiced velar fricative)
Dâlath	image:aramaic_daleth.png			ܕ	hard: d (voiced alveolar plosive) soft: ð (voiced dental fricative)
Hê	image:aramaic_heh.png			ܗ	h (voiceless glottal fricative)
Waw	image:aramaic_waw.png			ܘ	consonant: w (labial-velar approximant) mater lectionis: u (close back rounded vowel) or o (close-mid back rounded vowel)
Zain	image:aramaic_zain.png			ܙ	z (voiced alveolar fricative)
Hêth	image:aramaic_kheth.png	image:aramaic_kheth_c.png		ܚ	ħ (voiceless pharyngeal fricative)
Têth	image:aramaic_teth.png	image:aramaic_teth_c.png		ܛ	tˁ (pharyngealized voiceless alveolar plosive)
Yôdh	image:aramaic_yodh.png	image:aramaic_yodh_c.png		ܝ	consonant: j (voiced palatal approximant) mater lectionis: i (close front unrounded vowel) or e (close-mid front unrounded vowel)
Kâph	image:aramaic_kap.png	image:aramaic_kap_c.png	image:aramaic_kap_f.png	ܟ	hard: k (voiceless velar plosive) soft: x (voiceless velar fricative)
Lâmadh	image:aramaic_lamadh.png	image:aramaic_lamadh_c.png		ܠ	l (alveolar lateral approximant)
Mîm	image:aramaic_meem.png	image:aramaic_meem_c.png		ܡ	m (bilabial nasal)
Nûn	image:aramaic_noon.png	image:aramaic_noon_c.png	image:aramaic_noon_f.png	ܢ	n (alveolar nasal)
Semkath	image:aramaic_simkath.png	image:aramaic_simkath_c.png		ܣ / ܤ	s (voiceless alveolar fricative)
`Ê	image:aramaic_ain.png	image:aramaic_ain_c.png		ܥ	ʕ (voiced pharyngeal fricative)
Pê	image:aramaic_payin.png	image:aramaic_payin_c.png		ܦ	hard: p (voiceless bilabial plosive) soft: f (voiceless labiodental fricative) or w (labial-velar approximant)
Çâdhê	image:aramaic_tsade.png			ܨ	sˁ (pharyngealized voiceless alveolar fricative)
Qôph	image:aramaic_qoph.png	image:aramaic_qoph_c.png		ܩ	q (voiceless uvular plosive)
Rêš	image:aramaic_resh.png			ܪ	r (alveolar trill)
Šîn	image:aramaic_sheen.png	image:aramaic_sheen_c.png		ܫ	ʃ (voiceless postalveolar fricative)
Taw	image:aramaic_taw.png			ܬ	hard: t (voiceless alveolar plosive) soft: θ (voiceless dental fricative)
	image:aramaic_lamadh_alap.png				Lâmadh and 'Âlaph combined at end of word
	image:aramaic_taw_alap.png				Taw and 'Âlaph combined at end of word

Syriac in Unicode

The Syriac Unicode range is U+0700 ... U+074F. align="center"> align="center" |700|| ||܀||܁||܂||܃||܄||܅||܆||܇||܈||܉||܊||܋||܌||܍||܎||܏ align="center" |710|| ||ܐ||ܑ||ܒ||ܓ||ܔ||ܕ||ܖ||ܗ||ܘ||ܙ||ܚ||ܛ||ܜ||ܝ||ܞ||ܟ align="center" |720|| ||ܠ||ܡ||ܢ||ܣ||ܤ||ܥ||ܦ||ܧ||ܨ||ܩ||ܪ||ܫ||ܬ||ܭ||ܮ||ܯ align="center" |730|| ||ܰ||ܱ||ܲ||ܳ||ܴ||ܵ||ܶ||ܷ||ܸ||ܹ||ܺ||ܻ||ܼ||ܽ||ܾ||ܿ align="center" |740|| ||݀||݁||݂||݃||݄||݅||݆||݇||݈||݉||݊||݋||݌||ݍ||ݎ||ݏ

		0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	A	B	C	D	E	F

Category:Abjad writing systems Category:Aramaic languages ar:ابجدية سريانية ja:シリア文字

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