Syriac alphabet

The Syriac alphabet is used for writing the Syriac language. It is clearly related to other alphabets used to write Semitic languages.

Table of contents

1 General remarks 2 Forms of the Syriac alphabet 3 Syriac estrangelâ script 4 Syriac in Unicode

General remarks

Syriac is written from right to left. It is a cursive (joined-up) script, where some, but not all, letters connect within a word. The alphabet consists of 22 letters, all of which are consonants. The vowel sounds are supplied by the reader's memory or by pointing (a system of diacritical marks to indicate the correct reading). In fact, three letters act as matres lectionis: rather than being a consonant, they indicate a vowel. The first letter, 'âlaph, often represents a glottal stop, but it can also indicate a vowel at the beginning or the end of a word. The letter waw is technically a w, but can also represent the vowels o and u. Likewise, the letter yôdh represents the consonant y, but it also stands for the vowels i and e.

Forms of the Syriac alphabet

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  History of the Alphabet
  Wadi el-Hol 19th c. BC Proto-Canaanite 14th c. BC Ugaritic 13th c. BC *Phoenician 11th c. BC **Hebrew 9th c. BC **Aramaic 9th c. BC ***Brahmi 3rd c. BC ****Devanagari 12th c. ****Thai 13th c. ***Syriac 2nd c. BC ***Arabic 4th c. **Greek 9th c. BC ***Coptic 4th c. ***Gothic 4th c. ***Glagolitic 862 ***Cyrillic 10th c. **Old Italic 8th c. BC ***Latin 7th c. BC ***Runes 2nd c. *South Arabian 9th c. BC
  Georgian 5th c. BC
  Armenian 405
  Orkhon 6th c.
  Ogham 6th c.
  Hangul 1446

There are three major variations of the Syriac alphabet. The oldest and classical form of the alphabet is estrangelâ (the name is derived from the Greek description στρογγυλη, strongylê, 'rounded'). Although estrangelâ is no longer used as the main script for writing Syriac, it has received a bit of a revival. It is often used in scholarly publications (for instance, the Leiden University version of the Peshitta), in titles and inscriptions.

The West Syriac dialect is usually written in the sertâ ('line') form of the alphabet. Most of the letters are obviously derived from estrangelâ, but are simplified, flowing lines. The western script is usually vowel-pointed with miniature Greek vowel letters above or below the letter which they follow: Α (capital alpha) represents a, α (lowercase alpha) represents â (pronounced as an o), ε (lowercase epsilon) represents e and ê, Ι (capital iota) represents î, and a combined symbol of Υ (capital upsilon) and ο (lowercase omicron) represents û.

The East Syriac dialect is usually written in the madnhâyâ ('eastern') form of the alphabet. Unfortunately, it is often called 'nestorian', a term that was originally used to disparage Christians living in the Persian Empire. The eastern script resembles estrangelâ more closely than the western script. The eastern script uses a system of dots above or below letters to indicate vowels.

When Arabic began to be the dominant spoken language in Fertile Crescent, texts were often written in Arabic with the Syriac script. These writings are usually called Karshuni or Garshuni.

Syriac estrangelâ script

Letter	Normal format	Final connected	Final unconnected	Unicode character	Pronunciation
'Âlaph				ܐ	ʔ (glottal stop) or silent
Bêth				ܒ	hard: b (voiced bilabial plosive) soft: v (voiced labiodental fricative) or w (labial-velar approximant)
Gâmal				ܓ	hard: g (voiced velar plosive) soft: ɣ (voiced velar fricative)
Dâlath				ܕ	hard: d (voiced alveolar plosive) soft: ð (voiced dental fricative)
Hê				ܗ	h (voiceless glottal fricative)
Waw				ܘ	consonant: w (labial-velar approximant) mater lectionis: u (close back rounded vowel) or o (close-mid back rounded vowel)
Zain				ܙ	z (voiced alveolar fricative)
Hêth				ܚ	ħ (voiceless pharyngeal fricative)
Têth				ܛ	tˁ (pharyngealized voiceless alveolar plosive)
Yôdh				ܝ	consonant: j (voiced palatal approximant) mater lectionis: i (close front unrounded vowel) or e (close-mid front unrounded vowel)
Kâph				ܟ	hard: k (voiceless velar plosive) soft: x (voiceless velar fricative)
Lâmadh				ܠ	l (alveolar lateral approximant)
Mîm				ܡ	m (bilabial nasal)
Nûn				ܢ	n (alveolar nasal)
Semkath				ܣ / ܤ	s (voiceless alveolar fricative)
`Ê				ܥ	ʕ (voiced pharyngeal fricative)
Pê				ܦ	hard: p (voiceless bilabial plosive) soft: f (voiceless labiodental fricative) or w (labial-velar approximant)
Çâdhê				ܨ	sˁ (pharyngealized voiceless alveolar fricative)
Qôph				ܩ	q (voiceless uvular plosive)
Rêš				ܪ	r (alveolar trill)
Šîn				ܫ	ʃ (voiceless postalveolar fricative)
Taw				ܬ	hard: t (voiceless alveolar plosive) soft: θ (voiceless dental fricative)
					Lâmadh and 'Âlaph combined at end of word
					Taw and 'Âlaph combined at end of word

Syriac in Unicode

The Syriac Unicode range is U+0700 ... U+074F.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A

B

C

D

E

F

700

܀

܁

܂

܃

܄

܅

܆

܇

܈

܉

܊

܋

܌

܍

܎

܏

710

ܐ

ܑ

ܒ

ܓ

ܔ

ܕ

ܖ

ܗ

ܘ

ܙ

ܚ

ܛ

ܜ

ܝ

ܞ

ܟ

720

ܠ

ܡ

ܢ

ܣ

ܤ

ܥ

ܦ

ܧ

ܨ

ܩ

ܪ

ܫ

ܬ

ܭ

ܮ

ܯ

730

ܰ

ܱ

ܲ

ܳ

ܴ

ܵ

ܶ

ܷ

ܸ

ܹ

ܺ

ܻ

ܼ

ܽ

ܾ

ܿ

740

݀

݁

݂

݃

݄

݅

݆

݇

݈

݉

݊

݋

݌

ݍ

ݎ

ݏ

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