{"id":5039,"date":"2021-04-28T15:20:46","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T15:20:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/?p=5039"},"modified":"2021-04-28T15:20:46","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T15:20:46","slug":"classical_latin_alphabet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/classical_latin_alphabet\/","title":{"rendered":"Classical Latin Alphabet: 5 Things You Didn’t Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, we will be learning about the Classical Latin alphabet. It should be noted that there are older versions of the Latin alphabet, but today’s focus is on the classical version. Here are some facts you may have not known about the Classical Latin alphabet.<\/p>\n

#1. Only 23 Letters in Classical Latin Alphabet<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The earliest known inscriptions in the\u00a0 Latin alphabet date from the 6th<\/abbr>\u00a0century\u00a0BC<\/abbr>. So, the Romans used just 23 letters to write Latin; that\u2019s after they added the Greek letters \u201cY\u201d and \u201cZ\u201d to the alphabet they inherited from the Etruscans. Can you guess which letters are missing?<\/p>\n

\"The

The Pantheon in Rome \u2013 a unique building in Roman architecture \u2013 has been continuously in use throughout its 2,000-year history. Its dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. An example of Classical Latin Alphabet. Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash.<\/p><\/div>\n

Letter A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T V X Y Z<\/strong><\/p>\n

#2. No Lowercase Letters
\n<\/strong><\/span>The Latin alphabet started out as uppercase letters known as roman square capitals. This can be seen on the Pantheon image “M.AGRIPPA.L.F.COS.TERTIUM.FECIT” meaning “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, built this when he was consul for the third time.”<\/p>\n

The lowercase letters evolved through cursive styles that developed to adapt the inscribed alphabet to being written with a pen. To learn more about the development of lowercase letters, click here<\/a>.
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

#3. Letters Doing Double Duty
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For phonetic reasons, the symbols \u201cJ\u201d, \u201cU\u201d and \u201cW\u201d were added to our alphabet during the Middle Ages. The Latin language used an \u201cI\u201d symbol where we use a \u201cJ\u201d, a \u201cV\u201d symbol where we use a \u201cU\u201d. Think of the famous text \u201cSENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS\u2026\u201d or Julius Caesar = YOO-lee-us KYE-sahr.<\/p>\n

#4. Pronunciation of Words\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

If you see a V or U in Latin, they are both the same letter. The letter is pronounced either “w” or “u” as in English (as a consonant or as a vowel respectively). There is no “v” sound as in English in ordinary Latin.<\/p>\n

In Latin, there are two semivowels, i and u\/v. When these begin words or occur between two vowels, they have the value of a consonant.<\/p>\n