The Greeks had, in all probability, sounds which were wanting in Palestine and Phœnicia. In Palestine and Phœnicia it is certain that there were sounds wanting in Greece.

Of the twenty-two Phœnician letters the Greeks took but twenty-one. The eighteenth letter, tsadi,

ץ

‎, was never imported into Europe.

[§ 258]. Greek Period.—Compared with the Semitic, the Old Greek alphabet ran thus:—

Hebrew. Greek.
1. א‎ Α.
2. ב‎ Β.
3. ג‎ Γ.
4. ד‎ Δ.
5. ה‎ Ε.
6. ו‎ Ϝ.
7. ז‎ Ζ.
8. ח‎ Η.
9. ט‎ Θ.
10. י‎ Ι.
11. כ‎ Κ.
12. ל‎ Λ.
Hebrew. Greek.
13. מ‎ Μ.
14. נ‎ Ν.
15. ס‎ Σ?
16. ע‎ Ο.
17. פ‎ Π.
18. צ‎ —
19. ק‎ A letter called
koppa, afterwards
ejected.
20. ר‎ Ρ.
21. ש‎ Μ afterwards Σ?
22. ת‎ Τ.

Such the order and form of the Greek and Hebrew letters. Here it may be remarked, that, of each alphabet, it is only the modern forms that are compared; the likeness in the shape of the letters may be seen by comparing them in their

older stages. Of these the exhibition, in a work like the present, is inconvenient. They may, however, be studied in the work already referred to in the Phœnicia of Gesenius. The names of the letters are as follows:—

Hebrew. Greek.
1. Aleph Alpha.
2. Beth Bæta.
3. Gimel Gamma.
4. Daleth Delta.
5. He E, psilon.
6. Vaw Digamma.
7. Zayn Zæta.
8. Heth Hæta.
9. Teth Thæta.
10. Yod Iôta.
11. Kaph Kappa.
Hebrew. Greek.
12. Lamed Lambda.
13. Mem Mu.
14. Nun Nu.
15. Samech Sigma?
16. Ayn O.
17. Pe Pi.
18. Tsadi ——
19. Kof Koppa, Archaic.
20. Resh Rho.
21. Sin San, Doric.
22. Tau Tau.

[§ 259]. The Asiatic alphabet of Phœnicia and Palestine is now adapted to the European language of Greece. The first change took place in the manner of writing. The Orientals wrote from right to left; the Greeks from left to right. Besides this, the following principles, applicable whenever the alphabet of one language is transferred to another, were recognised:—