Alphabet Key To History Of Mankind

Author(s): David Diringer
Publisher: Hutchinsons Scientific and Technical Publications

Page 506

505
ETRUSCAN AND ITALIC ALPHABETS
Latinian Alphabets Both the Latin, or Roman, and the Faliscan alphabets have descended from the early Etruscan. The Latin writing will be dealt with at length in the next chapter. Here we shall examine briefly the Faliscan script.
Faliscan Alphabet
The Falisci were a tribe closely related to the Romans, and they spoke u similar language; having been for some centuries longer under Etruscan rule. they were more influenced by that people. They inhabited a small territory north of Rome centred on Falerii (the modern Civita Castellana).
OV.IV.
Sot
b.tw
arou
KUNDID
Fig. 228-Famous Faliscan inscription in two copies
Some Faliscan documents have come to light, the earliest belonging perhaps to the sixth century B.c. The most famous is an inscription (Fig. 228) in two copies on glazed kylikes or patera (belonging to the fourth century B.c.) which are not identical, but the two copies complete each other. The inscription round an erotic scene illustrates some phonetic and graphic differences between Faliscan and Latin. It reads foied. vino. pipafo. ora, carefo, which is in Latin: hodie vinum bibam cras carebo, that means "to-day I will drink wine, to-morrow I shall be without."
The main differences between the Faliscan alphabet (Fig. 226) and the Latin (see next Chapter) consist in the forms of the letters a, f, , h, and t. Especially interesting is the form of the Faliscan f, an arrow pointed upwards (see, for instance, the first sign on the right hand of the Fig. 228). which is also found in some Etruscan inscriptions, and according to Sir William Ramsay seems to have derived from Phrygia. Like the southern