Phrygian alphabet

E741568

The Phrygian alphabet is an ancient script used by the Phrygians of Anatolia, closely related to early Greek writing and known primarily from inscriptions dating to the first millennium BCE.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Old Phrygian alphabet 1

Statements (43)

Predicate Object
instanceOf alphabet
writing system
characterType consonants and vowels
chronologicalContext Iron Age NERFINISHED
chronologicalRangeApproximate c. 8th century BCE to early Roman Imperial period
chronology Middle Phrygian period
New Phrygian period
Old Phrygian period
culturalContext Phrygian kingdom NERFINISHED
deciphermentStatus largely deciphered
derivedFrom Phoenician alphabet NERFINISHED
distinctFrom Carian alphabet NERFINISHED
Greek alphabet NERFINISHED
Lycian alphabet NERFINISHED
Lydian alphabet NERFINISHED
evidenceType inscriptions
geographicContext ancient Anatolia
graphemicFeature letters similar in form to archaic Greek letters
no separate numeral signs (numbers written alphabetically)
influenced local Anatolian epigraphic traditions
influencedBy Greek alphabet NERFINISHED
numberOfLettersApproximate 19–21
primaryEvidenceSites Gordion NERFINISHED
central Anatolian sites
primaryLanguage Phrygian language NERFINISHED
region central Anatolia
relatedTo early Greek alphabet
scriptFamily Greek script family
scriptType alphabetic
sharesFeaturesWith early Greek writing
timePeriod 1st millennium BCE
unicodeStatus not yet encoded as a separate Unicode block (as of 2024)
usedBy Phrygians NERFINISHED
usedFor dedicatory inscriptions
funerary texts
votive inscriptions
usedIn Anatolia NERFINISHED
writingDirection left-to-right
writingMedium funerary inscriptions
rock monuments
stone inscriptions
writingSystemClass Old Anatolian alphabets
writingSystemStatus extinct

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Phrygian language hasWritingSystem Phrygian alphabet
this entity surface form: Old Phrygian alphabet
Phrygian writingSystem Phrygian alphabet
Phrygians writingSystem Phrygian alphabet