Paleo-Latin alphabet

E15937

The Paleo-Latin alphabet is an early form of the Latin writing system used on the Italian peninsula before the standardization of classical Latin script.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf alphabet
historical script
writing system
category Ancient writing systems
Latin-script history
characterType consonants and vowels
derivedFrom Etruscan alphabet
hasAlternativeName Archaic Latin alphabet
Old Latin alphabet
hasApproximateNumberOfLetters around 20–23 letters
historicalRole intermediate stage between Etruscan and Classical Latin scripts
influencedBy Greek alphabet
languageWritten Old Latin
notableFeature letter shapes differ from later Classical Latin forms
some Greek letters were omitted or adapted
some letters had multiple phonetic values
orthographicFeature lack of consistent word separation
limited use of punctuation
variable representation of long vowels
predecessorOf Roman Republican epigraphic script
region Latium
central Italy
scriptFamily Italic scripts
alphabetic scripts
standardizationStatus non-standardized letter forms
regional variation in letter shapes
subclassOf Old Latin script
successor Classical Latin alphabet
timePeriod before standardization of Classical Latin script
early 1st millennium BCE
usedBy Italic peoples
ancient Romans
usedFor funerary inscriptions
legal texts
public inscriptions
religious inscriptions
writing Old Latin
writing early Latin inscriptions
usedIn Italian Peninsula
usedUntil around 1st century BCE
writingDirection boustrophedon (in some inscriptions)
left-to-right (in later forms)
right-to-left (in earliest forms)
writingMedium ceramic inscriptions
metal inscriptions
stone inscriptions

Referenced by (6)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Paleo-Latin alphabet ("Old Latin alphabet")
Paleo-Latin alphabet ("Archaic Latin alphabet")
hasAlternativeName
Latino-Faliscan languages ("Old Latin alphabet")
hasWritingSystem
Old Italic script
includes
Paleo-Latin alphabet ("Old Latin script")
subclassOf
Old Latin ("Old Latin alphabet")
writingSystem

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