Α

See also: α, Ά, Α΄, ͵Α, and Appendix:Variations of "a"

Α U+0391, Α GREEK CAPITAL LETTER ALPHA ← ΐ [U+0390] Greek and Coptic Β → [U+0392]

Albanian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /a/

Letter

Α (A) (upper case A, lower case α)

1. The first letter of the Arvanitic Albanian Latin-script alphabet.

See also

• (Greek-script letters) Α α, Β β, Ƃ ƅ, Γ γ, Γϳ γϳ, Δ δ, D d, Ε ε, Ε̱ ε̱, Ζ ζ, Ζ̇ ζ̇, Θ θ, Ι ι, Ϳ ϳ, Κ κ, Κ̇ κ̇, Λ λ, ΛΛ λλ, Λ̇ λ̇, Μ μ, Ν ν, Ν̇ ν̇, Ο ο, Π π, Ρ ρ, Ρ̇ ρ̇, Σ σ, Σ̈ σ̈, Τ τ, Ȣ ȣ, Υ υ, Φ φ, Χ χ, Χ̇ χ̇, ΤΣ τσ, ΤΣ̈ τσ̈, DΣ dσ, DΣ̈ dσ̈

Ancient Greek

Greek letter Α (A, “Alpha”)

Etymology

From Phoenician 𐤀 (ʾ, “ʾālep”).

Letter

Α • (A) (upper case, lower case α)

1. The letter ἄλφα (álpha, “alpha”), the first letter of the ancient Greek alphabet.

Usage notes

The letter represented the open front unrounded vowel: /a/, /aː/. Today, this letter is often represented by lower case α (a), although Ancient Greek did not distinguish between upper and lower case.

Derived terms

• (Modern Greek letters) Α (A, “Alpha”), α (a, “alpha”)
• (Latin (Roman) letters) a, A
• (Cyrillic letters) а (a), А (A)
• (Coptic) ⲁ (a), Ⲁ (A)

Descendants

• Coptic script: Ⲁ
• Cyrillic script: А
• Gothic script: 𐌰
• Old Italic script: 𐌀
  • Latin script: A
  • Runic script: ᚨ

See also

• (Greek-script letters) Α α, Β β, Γ γ, Δ δ, Ε ε, Ζ ζ, Η η, Θ θ, Ι ι, Κ κ, Λ λ, Μ μ, Ν ν, Ξ ξ, Ο ο, Π π, Ρ ρ, Σ σ ς, Τ τ, Υ υ, Φ φ, Χ χ, Ψ ψ, Ω ω
• (non-Classical letters) Ϝ ϝ, Ͷ ͷ, Ͱ (H) ͱ (h), Ϻ ϻ, Ϙ ϙ, Ͳ (S) ͳ (s)
• (punctuation) · ;
• (diacritics) ᾿ ῾ ◌́ ◌̀ ῀ ¨

References

• “Α”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Α”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• Α in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)

Cypriot Arabic

Letter

Α (A) (upper case, lower case α)

1. The first letter of the Cypriot Arabic alphabet.

See also

• (Greek script letters) Α α, Β β, Γ γ, (Γ̱ γ̱), Δ δ, Ε ε, Ζ ζ, (Ζ̱ ζ̱), Η η, Θ θ, Ι ι, Κ κ, (Κ͟σ κ͟σ) , Λ λ, Μ μ, Ν ν, Ξ ξ, Ο ο, ΟΥ ου, Π π, (Π̱ π̱), Ρ ρ, Σ σ, (ς), (Σ̱ σ̱), Τ τ, (Τ̱ τ̱), Υ υ, Φ φ, Χ χ, Ψ ψ, (Ψ̱ ψ̱)

Greek

Alternative forms

• (noun & adjective): Α. (A.)

Etymology

The Ancient Greek letter Α (A, “alpha”) derived from the Phoenician letter 𐤀 (ʾ /⁠ʼ⁠/, “aleph”) ()

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a/, /ə/
• In modern Greek, Α (A) represents the open front unrounded vowel sound (IPA^(key): /a/), similar to the a in father.

Letter

Α • (A) (upper case, lower case α)

1. The letter άλφα (álfa, “alpha”), the first letter of the Modern Greek alphabet.

Coordinate terms

• (Greek script letters) γράμμα (grámma); Α (A) α (a), (Ά (Á) ά (á)), Β (V) β (v), Γ (G) γ (g), Δ (D) δ (d), Ε (E) ε (e), (Έ (É) έ (é)), Ζ (Z) ζ (z), Η (I) η (i), Ή (Í) ή (í), Θ (Th) θ (th), Ι (I) ι (i), (Ί (Í) ί (í)), (Ϊ ϊ (ï)), (ΐ (ḯ)), Κ (K) κ (k), Λ (L) λ (l), Μ (M) μ (m), Ν (N) ν (n), Ξ (X) ξ (x), Ο (O) ο (o), (Ό (Ó) ό (ó)), Π (P) π (p), Ρ (R) ρ (r), Σ (S) σ (s) ς (s), Τ (T) τ (t), Υ (Y) υ (y), (Ύ (Ý) ύ (ý)), (Ϋ ϋ (ÿ)), (ΰ (ÿ́)), Φ (F) φ (f), Χ (Ch) χ (ch), Ψ (Ps) ψ (ps), Ω (O) ω (o), (Ώ (Ó) ώ (ó))

Numeral

Α • (A) (Greek numeral)

1. The number one (1).

Coordinate terms

Units	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1s	Α΄ α΄	Β΄ β΄	Γ΄ γ΄	Δ΄ δ΄	Ε΄ ε΄	Ϛ΄ ϛ΄ ΣΤ΄ Στ΄ στ΄ Ϝ΄ ϝ΄	Ζ΄ ζ΄	Η΄ η΄	Θ΄ θ΄
10s	Ι΄ ι΄	Κ΄ κ΄	Λ΄ λ΄	Μ΄ μ΄	Ν΄ ν΄	Ξ΄ ξ΄	Ο΄ ο΄	Π΄ π΄	Ϟ΄ ϟ΄
100s	Ρ΄ ρ΄	Σ΄ σ΄	Τ΄ τ΄	Υ΄ υ΄	Φ΄ φ΄	Χ΄ χ΄	Ψ΄ ψ΄	Ω΄ ω΄	Ϡ΄ ϡ΄
1000s	͵Α ͵α	͵Β ͵β	͵Γ ͵γ	͵Δ ͵δ	͵Ε ͵ε	͵Ϛ ͵ϛ ͵ΣΤ ͵Στ ͵στ ͵Ϝ ͵ϝ	͵Ζ ͵ζ	͵Η ͵η	͵Θ ͵θ
10,000s	͵Ι ͵ι	͵Κ ͵κ	͵Λ ͵λ	͵Μ ͵μ	͵Ν ͵ν	͵Ξ ͵ξ	͵Ο ͵ο	͵Π ͵π	͵Ϟ ͵ϟ
100,000s	͵Ρ ͵ρ	͵Σ ͵σ	͵Τ ͵τ	͵Υ ͵υ	͵Φ ͵φ	͵Χ ͵χ	͵Ψ ͵ψ	͵Ω ͵ω	͵Ϡ ͵ϡ
Greek number and measurement appendix

Noun

Α • (A) f

1. E, initialism of ανατολή (anatolí, “east”)

Adjective

Α • (A) m

1. Initialism of ανατολικός (anatolikós): east, eastern

Coordinate terms

• Appendix:Greek compass points

Tsakonian

Letter

Α (A) (upper case, lower case α)

1. The first letter of the Tsakonian alphabet.

See also

• (Greek script letters) Α (A) α (a), Α̈ (Ä) α̈ (ä), Ά (Á) ά (á), Β (V) β (v), Γ (G) γ (g), Δ (D) δ (d), Ε (E) ε (e), Έ (É) έ (é), Ζ (Z) ζ (z), Ζ̌ (Ž) ζ̌ (ž), Ζ̑ (Z̑) ζ̑ (z̑), Η (I) η (i), Ή (Í) ή (í), Θ (Th) θ (th), Ι (I) ι (i), Ί (Í) ί (í), Ϊ ϊ (ï), ΐ (ḯ), Κ (K) κ (k), Κ̀ (K̀) κ̔ (k̔), Λ (L) λ (l), Λ̣ (Ḷ) λ̣ (ḷ), Λ̑ (L̑) λ̑ (l̑), Μ (M) μ (m), Ν (N) ν (n), Ν̇ (Ṅ) ν̇ (ṅ), Ν̑ (N̑) ν̑ (n̑), Ξ (X) ξ (x), Ο (O) ο (o), Ό (Ó) ό (ó), Π (P) π (p), Π̀ (P̀) π̔ (p̔), Ρ (R) ρ (r), Σ (S) σ (s) ς (s), Σ̌ (Š) σ̌ (š) ς̌ (š), Σ̑ (S̑) σ̑ (s̑) ς̑ (s̑), Τ (T) τ (t), Τ̀ (T̀) τ̔ (t̔), Τζ (Tz) τζ (tz), Τσ (Ts) τσ (ts) τς (ts), Υ (Y) υ (y), Ύ (Ý) ύ (ý), Ϋ ϋ (ÿ), ΰ (ÿ́), Φ (F) φ (f), Χ (Ch) χ (ch), Ψ (Ps) ψ (ps), Ω (O) ω (o), Ώ (Ó) ώ (ó)

Further reading

• Α on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^el