Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
in Alphabets
Joannes Richter
Abstract
In an overview of the Sanskrit, Persian, Latin, Hebrew and Runic alphabets the letters H, Z, R, S, L
and D are the most unstably classified symbols.
Obviously these unstably classified letters H, Z, R, S, L and D are located at special locations: the
letter Z (Zeta) between the labial “F” and gutteral “H”, the “R” and “S” between the gutteral “Q”
and the dental “T” and the dental “L”, the nasals “M” and “N” and the “Xi” in an “extraterritorial
isolated zone”.
In the periodic table of the Ugaritic alphabet we may identify the unstably classified letters in the
columns labeled Palatals, Linguals, Nasals and Sibilants. Most of the letters are found in the stable
core (of vowels, Labials, Gutturals and Dentals) at the left side of the alphabet.
In Flinder Petrie's Periodic Table of the Greek alphabet 1 the following Greek letters belonged to the
stable core of the alphabet: ΑΒΓΔ, ΕFΗΘ, ΙΚ, ΟΠϘʹΤ, ΥΦΧΨ, Ω, interpreted as A, B, G, D, E, Z, F
(digamma), H, Th, I, K, O, P, Q, T, Y, Chi, Psi, Ω. The unstably classified letters are: Ζ, ΛΜΝΞ,
ΡΣ, translated as Z, L, M, N, Xi, R, S.
In analogy to the split-up of the Ugaritic alphabet we may also split up Flinder Petrie's Periodic
Table of the Greek alphabet:
6 Υ Φ Χ Ψ
7 Ω - - -
Table 4: Flinders Petrie's Periodic Table in the Greek alphabet (1912)
split up in a stable core and a group of “unstably classified” letters.