The alpha and omega: the Greek alphabet

greek_alphabet
Originally uploaded by trudeau

The Greek alphabet is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BC, says Wikipedia.

It is the first and oldest alphabet in the narrow sense that it notes each vowel and consonant with a separate symbol.[2] It is as such in continuous use to this day. The letters were also used to represent Greek numerals, beginning in the 2nd century BC.

The Greek alphabet is descended from the Phoenician alphabet. It has given rise to many other alphabets used in Europe and the Middle East, including the Latin alphabet.[2]

In addition to being used for writing Modern Greek, its letters are today used as symbols in mathematics and science, as particle names in physics, as components of star names, in the names of fraternities and sororities, in the naming of supernumerary tropical cyclones, and for other purposes.