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NON-SEMITIC OFFSHOOTS OF ARAMAIC BRANCH
Armenian Alphabet
The Armenian alphabet originally contained 36 letters. Later, two more signs were added. There are two types, capitals and minuscule. In course of time, the letters changed their outward semblance very slightly. Fig. 150 shows the Armenian alphabet.
1
Origin of Armenian Writing
According to Armenian tradition there was a previous unsuccessful attempt by the Syriac bishop Daniel to adapt the Greek alphabet for the Armenian speech.
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Ila
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13948
ben 21 8
kgim 29 2
427 d It Ida Fast2F
5b4 C
ye 240 18 0
259
7bee
この
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10 di
P
Caf et 29.3
CA
304
in 31 S
he 30
tra 33,t's
13 MAX
14 ts
13 1 9 k 9 34 hu
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38f
men
JAS
lia
ho 35 ph d36f
O
Pa
pe
New
dtiun
tw
24
321
10
Fig. 150 The Armenian alphabet
1, Order of the letters; 2, Majuscule; 3. Minuscule; 4, Phonetic value; 5. Different pronunciation; 6, Names of the letters.
Among the various theories regarding the script on which Mesrop based his creation, the following are the more important: (1) A suggestion that the Armenian alphabet is based on the Greek; (2) that a cursive Aramaic-Persian, Pahlavi, alphabet was the foundation with some Greek influence; (3) while the most recent theory advanced by the German scholar Junker suggests that both the Armenian and the Georgian alphabets are based on the Pahlavik script (see p. 307) with the addition of some letters of the Avesta-alphabet. Greek influence, however, was felt in the creation of vowels, the direction of writing, and the upright and regular
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