Syriac Alphabet
The Syriac alphabet consists of 22 letters derived from the Aramaic script, written from right to left.
ܐ
Olaph
a
ܒ
Beth
b/v
ܓ
Gomal
g
ܕ
Dolath
d
ܗ
He
h
ܘ
Waw
w/u/o
ܙ
Zayn
z
ܚ
Heth
h
ܛ
Teth
t
ܝ
Yudh
y/i
ܟ
Koph
k
ܠ
Lamadh
l
ܡ
Mim
m
ܢ
Nun
n
ܣ
Semkath
s
ܥ
E
a
ܦ
Pe
p/f
ܨ
Sadhe
s
ܩ
Qoph
q
ܪ
Resh
r
ܫ
Shin
sh
ܬ
Taw
t
Download Alphabet Chart
About the Syriac Alphabet
The Syriac alphabet is a writing system used for the Syriac language, a dialect of Middle Aramaic. It consists of 22 letters, all consonants, with vowels indicated by diacritical marks. The script has three main styles: Estrangela, Serto (Western), and Madnhaya (Eastern). It is still used in Syriac Christian liturgy.
History
The Syriac alphabet evolved from the Aramaic alphabet around the 1st century CE. It became the script for Syriac Christianity and was used extensively for theological and scientific texts. The alphabet spread with Syriac Christianity and influenced other scripts including Arabic and Hebrew pointing systems.
Key Features
- Written from right to left
- 22 consonant letters
- Vowels marked with diacritics
- Three main script styles
- Derived from Aramaic
- Used in Christian liturgy