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bonus cave 3 (abc history)
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by
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dustin
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DUSTIN                            2023-04-21 13:38
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THIS CAVE SHOWS THE COMPLETE PHOENICIAN ALPHABET (22 LETTERS). I DROPPED THE CAVE FOR THE MAIN SERIES IN THE END, BECAUSE THE CAVE "THE FAMILY TREE" ALSO SHOWS THE COMPLETE PHOENICIAN ALPHABET. HOWEVER, I THINK THAT THE SPECIFIC INFO ABOUT THIS ALPHABET GIVEN BELOW MIGHT BE A GOOD OVERVIEW AT LEAST. AFTER ALL, THIS ALPHABET IS THE VERY BASEMENT OF THE LATIN SCRIPT WHICH THE SERIES IS ALL ABOUT!  
  
THE PHOENICIAN SCRIPT...  
| ...IS WRITTEN FROM RIGHT TO LEFT.  
| ...IS THE ORIGIN OF THE LATIN SCRIPT, BUT ALSO HEBREW, ARAB, CYRILLIC, GREEK...  
| ...IS BASED ON EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHS.  
MORE PRECISELY ON THE LAST POINT: THE PHOENICIANS TOOK SOME OF THE HIEROGLYPHS, TRANSLATED THE PICTURES INTO THEIR LANGUAGE AND IDENTIFIED THESE WORDS WITH THE LETTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY TOOK THE EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPH FOR WATER, TRANSLATED "WATER" INTO PHOENICIAN ("MEM") AND SO THE WORD "MEM" COULD MEAN EITHER THE LETTER OR THE WORD "WATER".  
  
\\\ THE ALPHABET \\\  
HERE ARE ALL THE NAMES AND BASIC INFO FOR EACH LETTER. NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE A FOURTH AND LAST BONUS CAVE FOR THE SOUNDS, OF EACH LETTER!  
  
EACH \ IS FOR A LATIN LETTER, SO YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY LATIN LETTERS ARE BASED ON EACH PHOENICIAN LETTER!  
  
TOP ROW (FROM RIGHT TO LEFT):  
  
1. ALEP  
| HIEROGLYPH: OX HEAD WITH HORNS  
| MEANING: "ALEP" = OX  
| GREEK EQUIVALENT: ALPHA (1ST GREEK LETTER)  
| LATIN EQUIVALENT: A  
  
2. BET  
| HIEROGLYPH: HOUSE  
| MEANING: "BET" = HOUSE  
| GREEK: BETA (2ND)  
| LATIN: B  
  
3. GIML  
| HIEROGLYPH: THROW STICK (CAMEL?)  
| MEANING: "GIML" = CAMEL  
| SPECULATED EARLIER LETTER NAME: "GAML" = THROW STICK  
| GREEK: GAMMA (3RD)  
| LATIN: C, G  
  
4. DALET  
| HIEROGLYPH: FISH OR DOOR  
| MEANING: "DALET" = DOOR  
| SPECULATED EARLIER NAME: "DIGG" = FISH  
| GREEK: DELTA (4TH)  
| LATIN: D  
  
5. HE  
| HIEROGLYPH: HUMAN IN JUBILATING (OR PRAYING) POSTURE  
| MEANING: "HE" = WINDOW  
| SPECULATED EARLIER NAME: "HIL" = JUBILATION  
| GREEK: EPSILON (5TH)  
| LATIN: E  
  
6. WAW  
| HIEROGLYPH: HOOK OR CLUB (OR BIRD?)  
| MEANING: "WAW" = HOOK  
| GREEK: DIGAMMA / WAU (LATER DELETED), YPSILON (20TH)  
| LATIN: F, U, V, W, Y  
  
7. ZAYIN  
| HIEROGLYPH: WEAPON OR MANACLE  
| MEANING: "ZAYIN" = WEAPON (OR MANACLE?)  
| SPECULATED EARLIER NAME: "ZIQQ" = MANACLE  
| GREEK: ZETA (6TH)  
| LATIN: Z  
  
8. HET  
| HIEROGLYPH: FENCE  
| MEAINING: "HET" = COURTYARD / WALL / FENCE  
| GREEK: (H)ETA (7TH)  
| LATIN: H  
  
MIDDLE ROW FROM RIGHT TO LEFT:  
  
9. TET  
| HIEROGLYPH: WHEEL  
| MEAINING: "TET" = WHEEL  
| GREEK: THETA (8TH)  
| LATIN: -  
  
10. YOD  
| HIEROGLYPH: ARM WITH HAND  
| MEANING: "YOD" = ARM  
| GREEK: IOTA (9TH)  
| LATIN: I, J  
  
11. KAP  
| HIEROGLYPH: HAND PALM  
| MEAINING: "KAP" = HAND  
| GREEK: KAPPA (10TH)  
| LATIN: K  
  
12. LAMED  
| HIEROGYLPH: OX GOAD  
| MEANING: "LAMED" = OX GOAD  
| GREEK: LAMBDA (11TH)  
| LATIN: L  
  
12. MEM  
| HIEROGLYPH: WATER WAVE  
| MEANING: "MEM" = WATER  
| GREEK: MY (12TH)  
| LATIN: M  
  
14. NUN  
| HIEROGLYPH: SNAKE (EEL?)  
| MEAINING: "NUN" = FISH  
| SPECULATED EARLIER NAME: "NAHSH" = SNAKE  
| GREEK: NY (13TH)  
| LATIN: N  
  
15. SAMEK  
| HIEROGLYPH: SUPPORT PILLAR  
| MEANING: "SAMEK" = PILLAR(?)  
| GREEK: XI (14TH), CHI (22ND)  
| LATIN: X(?)  
  
BOTTOM ROW FROM RIGHT TO LEFT:  
  
16. 'AYIN  
| HIEROGLYPH: EYE  
| MEANING: "'AYIN" = EYE  
| GREEK: OMICRON (15TH), OMEGA (24TH)  
| LATIN: O  
  
17. PE  
| HIEROGLYPH: MOUTH (CORNER?)  
| MEAINING: "PE" = MOUTH  
| SPECULATED EARLIER NAME: "PI'T" = CORNER  
| GREEK: PI (16TH)  
| LATIN: P  
  
18. SADE  
| HIEROGLYPH: PAPYRUS PLANT OR FISH HOOK  
| MEANING: "SADE" = PLANT OR FISH HOOK  
| GREEK: SAN (LATER DELETED)  
| LATIN: -  
  
19. QOP  
| HIEROGLYPH: NEEDLE OR MONKEY  
| MEANING: "QOP" = NEEDLE EYE  
| GREEK: QOPPA (LATER DELETED), PHI (21ST)  
| LATIN: Q  
  
20. RESH  
| HIEROGLYPH: HEAD  
| MEANING: "RESH" = HEAD  
| GREEK: RHO (17TH)  
| LATIN: R  
  
21. SHIN  
| HIEROGLYPH: TOOTH (SUN?)  
| MEAINING: "SHIN" = TOOTH  
| SPECULATED EARLIER NAME: "SHIMSH" = SUN  
| GREEK: SIGMA (18TH)  
| LATIN: S  
  
22. TAW  
| HIEROGLYPH: CROSS, MARK (PROBABLY SEMITIC INVENTION)  
| MEANING: "TAW" = MARK  
| GREEK: TAU (19TH)  
| LATIN: T  
  
FOR COMPLETENESS: THE 23RD GREEK LETTER "PSI" WAS LIKELY A GREEK INVENTION WITHOUT PHOENICIAN ROOT (OR A VERY LOOSE ADOPTION).  
  
CAVE DIFFICULTY: 1/10