3A Woodard and Woodhead

Question 1

According to both Woodard and Woodhead, when did the Greeks adopt the alphabet?

Answer 1

• c.8/9th century

Question 2

According to Woodard, where did the Greeks adopt the alphabet?

Answer 2

• Cyprus

Question 3

According to Woodhead, where did the Greeks adopt the alphabet?

Answer 3

• Al-Mina

Question 4

Was the adaptation done by one individual or many?

Answer 4

• Many

Question 5

What is the name of the particular Greek Alphabet we now use?

Answer 5

• Ionic (both say)

Question 6

What does the term epichoric mean?

Answer 6

Both say local varieties of the Greek Alphabet

Question 7

When did Athens adopt the Ionic alphabet?

Answer 7

402/3 BC

Question 8

What differences do Woodard and Woodhead give between the Attic and Ionic Alphabets? (4)

Answer 8

• Attic lacks psi, Ionic doesn’t (both)
• Attic lacks xi, Ionic doesn’t (both)
• Attic is light blue while Ionic is dark blue (Woodard)
• In Ionia H was used as a long E whereas in Attica it was used as a rough breathing or aspirated H (Woodhead)

Question 9

What sounds did the H stand for?

Answer 9

• Phoenician letter first used for Greek H, but became eta as H didn’t exist in certain dialects

Question 10

In which areas did X stand for ks?

Answer 10

Woodard - Euboea and its colonies

Woodhead - Most of mainland Greece

Question 11

What is the Phoenician name of the letter from whose shape Greek San was derived?

Answer 11

• Shin

Question 12

Where does the Greek letter name sigma come from?

Answer 12

Derived from Greek root ‘sig’ - san was the earliest Greek name for it

Question 13

In what century is omega first attested? Who says this?

Answer 13

Woodhead - 7th century BC

Question 14

When should one consult Woodard and Woodhead respectively?

Answer 14

• Woodard - Kirchoff’s colour coded map

- Woodhead - what ancient alphabets looked like as he includes comparative pictures