The
Hebrew alphabet (
Hebrew:
אָלֶף־בֵּית עִבְרִי
[a],
alefbet ʿIvri ), known variously by
scholars as the
Jewish script,
square script,
block script, is used in the writing of the
Hebrew language, as well as other
Jewish languages, most notably
Yiddish,
Ladino, and
Judeo-Arabic. There have been two script forms in use; the original old Hebrew script is known as the
paleo-Hebrew script (which has been largely preserved, in an altered form, in the
Samaritan script), while the present "square" form of the Hebrew alphabet is a stylized form of the
Assyrian script. Various "styles" (in current terms, "fonts") of representation of the letters exist. There is also a
cursive Hebrewscript, which has also varied over time and place.
The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, of which five have different forms when used at the end of a word. Hebrew is
written from right to left. Originally, the alphabet was an
abjad consisting only of
consonants. Like other abjads, such as the
Arabic alphabet, means were later devised to indicate
vowels by separate vowel points, known in Hebrew as
niqqud. In rabbinic Hebrew, the letters א ה ו י are also used as
matres lectionis to represent vowels. When used to write
Yiddish, the writing system is a true alphabet (except for borrowed Hebrew words). In modern usage of the alphabet, as in the case of Yiddish (except that ע replaces ה) and to some extent modern
Israeli Hebrew, vowels may be indicated. Today, the trend is toward
full spelling with these letters acting as true vowels.
The Hebrew alphabet (Hebrew: אָלֶף־בֵּית עִבְרִי[a], alefbet ʿIvri ), known variously by scholars as the Jewish script, square script, block script, is used in the writing of the Hebrew language, as well as other Jewish languages, most notably Yiddish, Ladino, and Judeo-Arabic. There have been two script forms in use; the original old Hebrew script is known as the paleo-Hebrew script (which has been largely preserved, in an altered form, in theSamaritan script), while the present "square" form of the Hebrew alphabet is a stylized form of the Assyrian script. Various "styles" (in current terms, "fonts") of representation of the letters exist. There is also a cursive Hebrewscript, which has also varied over time and place.
The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, of which five have different forms when used at the end of a word. Hebrew is written from right to left. Originally, the alphabet was an abjad consisting only of consonants. Like other abjads, such as the Arabic alphabet, means were later devised to indicate vowels by separate vowel points, known in Hebrew as niqqud. In rabbinic Hebrew, the letters א ה ו י are also used as matres lectionis to represent vowels. When used to write Yiddish, the writing system is a true alphabet (except for borrowed Hebrew words). In modern usage of the alphabet, as in the case of Yiddish (except that ע replaces ה) and to some extent modern Israeli Hebrew, vowels may be indicated. Today, the trend is toward full spelling with these letters acting as true vowels.
No comments:
Post a Comment