THE GREEK ALPHABET

Alphabet – Writing – Orthography

Professor G. Babiniotis’ explains the history and the adventures of the Greek writing, all the way from the very beginning to the orthography of modern Greek. A fascinating book treating the contribution of the Greek alphabet to contemporary civilisation, a civilisation of written language.

The book consists of three parts:

Part I: Alphabet – History, evolution, importance

  • Writing systems and their differences
  • Evolution of writing in Greece (hieroglyphic – Linear A – Linear B – Cypro-Minoan – Cypriot syllabary – alphabet)
  • Greek alphabet: Time of introduction, origin, structure and evolution
  • Gradual shaping and development of letters
  • Importance of the adoption of the Greek alphabet and influence on other alphabets

Part II: Letters – The individual and fascinating story of each one of the 24 letters

  • The original prototype form of each letter and its development from the Phoenician alphabet
  • Local varieties of each letter in ancient Greece
  • Transition to minuscule script and modern low case characters
  • Original phonetic value and pronunciation

Part III: Writing and orthography

  • Michael Ventris and the decipherment of Linear B
  • Articles about: aesthetics of writing – quality of written communication – writer’s relationship with his text – importance of handwriting
  • The historical-etymological basis of Modern Greek orthography and relevant criteria
  • Monotonic orthography of Modern Greek: Suggestions for improving the standard system

Prominent features of this edition:

  • Readable, non-technical discussion
  • Full bibliographic account
  • Detailed charts and tables
  • Selected illustrations and documented inscriptions
  • Detailed indexes of names, terms, tables and illustrations

Size: 14,5 Χ 21,0 cm
Pages: 304
Format: Flexi cover
ISBN: 978-960-9582-13-1
Price: 28,00 Euro

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