Alpha: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:15, 12 December 2025

Alpha /ˈælfə/ (Audio file "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Alpha.wav" not found) ALF-ə^[1] (uppercase Α, lowercase α)^{[lower-alpha 1]} is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph ⟨𐤀⟩, whose name comes from the West Semitic word for 'ox'.^[2] Letters that arose from alpha include the Latin letter ⟨A⟩ and the Cyrillic letter ⟨А⟩.

Uses

Greek

In Ancient Greek, alpha was pronounced [a] and could be either phonemically long ([aː]) or short ([a]). Where there is ambiguity, long and short alpha are sometimes written with a macron and breve today: Ᾱᾱ, Ᾰᾰ.

Template:Wikt-lang = ὥρᾱ hōrā el "a time"
Template:Wikt-lang = γλῶσσᾰ glôssa el "tongue"

In Modern Greek, vowel length has been lost, and all instances of alpha simply represent the open front unrounded vowel el.

In the polytonic orthography of Greek, alpha, like other vowel letters, can occur with several diacritic marks: any of three accent symbols (ά, ὰ, ᾶ), and either of two breathing marks (ἁ, ἀ), as well as combinations of these. It can also combine with the iota subscript (ᾳ).

Greek grammar

In the Attic–Ionic dialect of Ancient Greek, long alpha [aː] fronted to [ɛː] (eta). In Ionic, the shift took place in all positions. In Attic, the shift did not take place after epsilon, iota, and rho (ε, ι, ρ; e, i, r). In Doric and Aeolic, long alpha is preserved in all positions.^[3]

Doric, Aeolic, Attic χώρᾱ chṓrā – Ionic χώρη chṓrē, "country"
Doric, Aeolic φᾱ́μᾱ phā́mā – Attic, Ionic φήμη phḗmē, "report"

Privative a is the Ancient Greek prefix ἀ- or ἀν- a-, an-, added to words to negate them. It originates from the Proto-Indo-European *n̥- (syllabic nasal) and is cognate with English un-.

Copulative a is the Greek prefix ἁ- or ἀ- ha-, a-. It comes from Proto-Indo-European *sm̥.

Mathematics and science

The letter alpha represents various concepts in physics and chemistry, including alpha radiation, angular acceleration,^[4] alpha particles, alpha carbon and strength of electromagnetic interaction (as fine-structure constant).^[5] Alpha also stands for thermal expansion coefficient of a compound in physical chemistry. In ethology, it is used to name the dominant individual in a group of animals. In aerodynamics, the letter is used as a symbol for the angle of attack of an aircraft and the word "alpha" is used as a synonym for this property.

In astronomy, α is often used to designate the brightest star in a constellation.^[6]

In mathematics, the letter alpha is used to denote the area underneath a normal curve in statistics to denote significance level^[7] when proving null and alternative hypotheses. It is also commonly used in algebraic solutions representing quantities such as angles. In mathematical logic, α is sometimes used as a placeholder for ordinal numbers. It is used for Stoneham numbers.^[8]

Most occurrences of alpha in science are the lowercase alpha. The uppercase letter alpha is not generally used as a symbol because it tends to be rendered identically to the uppercase Latin A.

The proportionality operator "∝" (in Unicode: U+221D) is sometimes mistaken for alpha.

International Phonetic Alphabet

In the International Phonetic Alphabet, the letter ɑ, which looks similar to the lower-case alpha, represents the open back unrounded vowel.

History and symbolism

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Origin

The Phoenician alphabet was adopted for Greek in the early 8th century BC, perhaps in Euboea.^[9] The majority of the letters of the Phoenician alphabet were adopted into Greek with much the same sounds as they had had in Phoenician, but ʼāleph, the Phoenician letter representing the glottal stop [ʔ], was adopted as representing the vowel [a]; similarly, hē [h] and ʽayin [ʕ] are Phoenician consonants that became Greek vowels, epsilon [e] and omicron [o], respectively.

Plutarch

Plutarch, in Moralia,^[10] presents a discussion on why the letter alpha stands first in the alphabet. Ammonius asks Plutarch what he, being a Boeotian, has to say for Cadmus, the Phoenician who reputedly settled in Thebes and introduced the alphabet to Greece, placing alpha first because it is the Phoenician name for ox—which, unlike Hesiod,^[11] the Phoenicians considered not the second or third, but the first of all necessities. "Nothing at all," Plutarch replied. He then added that he would rather be assisted by Lamprias, his own grandfather, than by Dionysus' grandfather, i.e. Cadmus. For Lamprias had said that the first articulate sound made is "alpha", because it is very plain and simple—the air coming off the mouth does not require any motion of the tongue—and therefore this is the first sound that children make.^{[citation needed]}

According to Plutarch's natural order of attribution of the vowels to the planets, alpha was connected with the Moon.

Alpha and Omega

File:Königsberg Marienkirche - Fenster 1a AlphaOmega.jpg

Stained glass featuring Alpha and Omega in the Königsberg in Bayern Marienkirche [de]

As the first letter of the alphabet, Alpha as a Greek numeral came to represent the number 1. Therefore, Alpha, both as a symbol and term, is used to refer to the "first", or "primary", or "principal" (most significant) occurrence or status of a thing.

The New Testament has God declaring himself to be the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." (Revelation 22:13, KJV, and see also 1:8).

Consequently, the term "alpha" has also come to be used to denote "primary" position in social hierarchy, examples being the concept of dominant "alpha" members in groups of animals.

Unicode

All code points with ALPHA or ALFA^[12] but without WITH (for accented Greek characters, see Greek diacritics: Computer encoding):

U+0251 ɑ (HTML ɑ)
U+0252 ɒ (HTML ɒ)
U+0386 Ά (HTML Ά)
U+0391 Α (HTML Α⧼dot-separator⧽ Α)
U+03AC ά (HTML ά)
U+03B1 α (HTML α⧼dot-separator⧽ α)
U+1D45 ᵅ (HTML ᵅ)
U+1D90 ᶐ (HTML ᶐ)
U+1D9B ᶛ (HTML ᶛ)
U+1DE7 ◌ᷧ
U+2376 ⍶ (HTML ⍶)
U+237A ⍺ (HTML ⍺)
U+2C6D Ɑ (HTML Ɑ)
U+2C70 Ɒ (HTML Ɒ)
U+2C80 Ⲁ (HTML Ⲁ)
U+2C81 ⲁ (HTML ⲁ)
U+AB30 ꬰ (HTML ꬰ)
U+AB64 ꭤ (HTML ꭤ)
U+1D6A8 𝚨 (HTML 𝚨)^{[lower-alpha 2]}
U+1D6C2 𝛂 (HTML 𝛂)
U+1D6E2 𝛢 (HTML 𝛢)
U+1D6FC 𝛼 (HTML 𝛼)
U+1D71C 𝜜 (HTML 𝜜)
U+1D736 𝜶 (HTML 𝜶)
U+1D756 𝝖 (HTML 𝝖)
U+1D770 𝝰 (HTML 𝝰)
U+1D790 𝞐 (HTML 𝞐)
U+1D7AA 𝞪 (HTML 𝞪)

Notes

↑ Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., or Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.
↑ The MATHEMATICAL symbols are only to be used in math. Stylized Greek text should be encoded using normal Greek letters, with markup and formatting to indicate text style.

References

↑ "alpha". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
↑ Brookes, I. (2004). "aleph". Chamber Concise Dictionary - Google 圖書. Chamber Concise Dictionary. Allied. p. 30. ISBN 978-81-86062-36-4. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
↑ Herbert Weir Smyth. Greek grammar for colleges. paragraph 30 Archived 20 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine and note Archived 13 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
↑ Elert, Glenn (2023), "Special Symbols", The Physics Hypertextbook, hypertextbook, retrieved 1 February 2025, α, α rotational acceleration
↑ "fine-structure constant". physics.nist.gov. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
↑ Rabinowitz, Harold; Vogel, Suzanne (2009). The manual of scientific style: a guide for authors, editors, and researchers (1st ed.). Amsterdam Burlington, MA: Elsevier/Academic Press. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-12-373980-3. The primary designation system for bright stars, called Bayer designations… The Greek letters are assigned in order (α,β, γ,δ etc.) according to brightness.
↑ "Chapter 5: Analysing the Data Part II : Inferential Statistics". Research Methods and Statistics PESS202 Lecture and Commentary Notes. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011.
↑ Weisstein, Eric W. "Stoneham Number". mathworld.wolfram.com. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
↑ The date of the earliest inscribed objects; A.W. Johnston, "The alphabet", in N. Stampolidis and V. Karageorghis, eds, Sea Routes from Sidon to Huelva: Interconnections in the Mediterranean 2003:263-76, summarizes the present scholarship on the dating.
↑ Symposiacs, Book IX, questions II & III On-line text Archived 13 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine at Adelaide library
↑ Hesiod, in Works and Days (see on Perseus Project Archived 17 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine), advises the early Greek farmers, "First of all, get a house, then a woman and third, an ox for the plough."
↑ "Character Encodings". Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2013.

[2] Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., or Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.

[14] The MATHEMATICAL symbols are only to be used in math. Stylized Greek text should be encoded using normal Greek letters, with markup and formatting to indicate text style.

[1] "alpha". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)

[3] Brookes, I. (2004). "aleph". Chamber Concise Dictionary - Google 圖書. Chamber Concise Dictionary. Allied. p. 30. ISBN 978-81-86062-36-4. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2021.

[4] Herbert Weir Smyth. Greek grammar for colleges. paragraph 30 Archived 20 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine and note Archived 13 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine.

[5] Elert, Glenn (2023), "Special Symbols", The Physics Hypertextbook, hypertextbook, retrieved 1 February 2025, α, α rotational acceleration

[6] "fine-structure constant". physics.nist.gov. Retrieved 10 February 2025.

[7] Rabinowitz, Harold; Vogel, Suzanne (2009). The manual of scientific style: a guide for authors, editors, and researchers (1st ed.). Amsterdam Burlington, MA: Elsevier/Academic Press. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-12-373980-3. The primary designation system for bright stars, called Bayer designations… The Greek letters are assigned in order (α,β, γ,δ etc.) according to brightness.

[8] "Chapter 5: Analysing the Data Part II : Inferential Statistics". Research Methods and Statistics PESS202 Lecture and Commentary Notes. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011.

[9] Weisstein, Eric W. "Stoneham Number". mathworld.wolfram.com. Retrieved 31 January 2025.

[10] The date of the earliest inscribed objects; A.W. Johnston, "The alphabet", in N. Stampolidis and V. Karageorghis, eds, Sea Routes from Sidon to Huelva: Interconnections in the Mediterranean 2003:263-76, summarizes the present scholarship on the dating.

[11] Symposiacs, Book IX, questions II & III On-line text Archived 13 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine at Adelaide library

[12] Hesiod, in Works and Days (see on Perseus Project Archived 17 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine), advises the early Greek farmers, "First of all, get a house, then a woman and third, an ox for the plough."

[13] "Character Encodings". Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2013.

[1]

[lower-alpha 1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[lower-alpha 2]

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 {{Greek Alphabet|letter=alpha}}
-'''Alpha''' {{IPAc-en|'|æ|l|f|ə|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Alpha.wav}} {{respell|ALF|ə}}<ref>{{OED|alpha}}</ref> (uppercase {{Script|Grek|'''Α'''}}, lowercase {{Script|Grek|'''α'''}}){{Efn|{{langx|grc|ἄλφα|álpha}}, or {{langx|el|άλφα|álfa}}}} is the first [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]] of the [[Greek alphabet]]. In the system of [[Greek numerals]], it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician]] letter ''[[Aleph#Origin|aleph]]'' {{angbr|𐤀}}, whose name comes from the [[West Semitic]] word for '[[ox]]'.<ref>{{cite dictionary | entry=aleph |last=Brookes | first=I. | dictionary=Chamber Concise Dictionary | publisher=Allied | year=2004 | isbn=978-81-86062-36-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iwWuY9tAVq8C | page=30 | access-date=15 November 2021 | archive-date=11 June 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611085621/https://books.google.com/books?id=iwWuY9tAVq8C | url-status=live }}</ref> Letters that arose from alpha include the [[Latin script|Latin]] letter {{angbr|[[A]]}} and the [[Cyrillic]] letter {{angbr|[[A (Cyrillic)|А]]}}.
+'''Alpha''' {{IPAc-en|'|æ|l|f|ə|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Alpha.wav}} {{respell|ALF|ə}}<ref>{{OED|alpha}}</ref> (uppercase {{Script|Grek|'''Α'''}}, lowercase {{Script|Grek|'''α'''}}){{Efn|{{langx|grc|ἄλφα|álpha}}, or {{langx|el|άλφα|álfa}}}} is the first [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]] of the [[Greek alphabet]]. In the system of [[Greek numerals]], it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician]] letter ''[[Aleph#Origin|aleph]]'' {{angbr|𐤀}}, whose name comes from the [[West Semitic]] word for '[[ox]]'.<ref>{{cite dictionary | entry=aleph |last=Brookes | first=I. |title=Chamber Concise Dictionary - Google 圖書 | dictionary=Chamber Concise Dictionary | publisher=Allied | year=2004 | isbn=978-81-86062-36-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iwWuY9tAVq8C | page=30 | access-date=15 November 2021 | archive-date=11 June 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611085621/https://books.google.com/books?id=iwWuY9tAVq8C | url-status=live }}</ref> Letters that arose from alpha include the [[Latin script|Latin]] letter {{angbr|[[A]]}} and the [[Cyrillic]] letter {{angbr|[[A (Cyrillic)|А]]}}.
 ==Uses==
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 The letter alpha represents various concepts in [[physics]] and [[chemistry]], including [[alpha radiation]], [[angular acceleration]],<ref>{{Citation |last=Elert |first=Glenn |title=Special Symbols |date=2023 |work=The Physics Hypertextbook|quote= '''α''', α rotational acceleration |url=https://physics.info/symbols/ |access-date=2025-02-01 |publisher=hypertextbook |language=en}}</ref> [[alpha particle]]s, [[alpha carbon]] and strength of [[electromagnetic interaction]] (as [[fine-structure constant]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=fine-structure constant |url=https://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/cuu/Value?eqalph%7Csearch_for=fine |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=physics.nist.gov}}</ref> Alpha also stands for [[thermal expansion coefficient]] of a [[Chemical compound|compound]] in [[physical chemistry]]. In [[ethology]], it is used to name the [[Alpha (ethology)|dominant individual]] in a group of animals. In aerodynamics, the letter is used as a symbol for the [[angle of attack]] of an aircraft and the word "alpha" is used as a synonym for this property.
-In astronomy, α is often used to designate the brightest star in a constellation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rabinowitz |first=Harold |title=The manual of scientific style: a guide for authors, editors, and researchers |last2=Vogel |first2=Suzanne |date=2009 |publisher=Elsevier/Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12-373980-3 |edition=1st |location=Amsterdam Burlington, MA |pages=363 |quote=The primary designation system for bright stars, called Bayer designations… The Greek letters are assigned in order (α,β, γ,δ  etc.) according to brightness.}}</ref>
+In astronomy, α is often used to designate the brightest star in a constellation.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Rabinowitz |first1=Harold |title=The manual of scientific style: a guide for authors, editors, and researchers |last2=Vogel |first2=Suzanne |date=2009 |publisher=Elsevier/Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12-373980-3 |edition=1st |location=Amsterdam Burlington, MA |pages=363 |quote=The primary designation system for bright stars, called Bayer designations… The Greek letters are assigned in order (α,β, γ,δ  etc.) according to brightness.}}</ref>
 In [[mathematics]], the letter alpha is used to denote the area underneath a [[Normal distribution|normal curve]] in [[statistics]] to denote [[statistical significance|significance level]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.une.edu.au/WebStat/unit_materials/c5_inferential_statistics/what_alpha_level.html |work=Research Methods and Statistics PESS202 Lecture and Commentary Notes |title=Chapter 5: Analysing the Data Part II : Inferential Statistics |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822143239/http://www.une.edu.au/WebStat/unit_materials/c5_inferential_statistics/what_alpha_level.html |archive-date=22 August 2011 }}</ref> when proving [[null hypotheses|null]] and [[Alternative hypothesis|alternative hypotheses]]. It is also commonly used in [[algebra|algebraic solutions]] representing quantities such as angles. In [[mathematical logic]], α is sometimes used as a placeholder for [[ordinal number]]s. It is used for [[Stoneham number|Stoneham numbers]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weisstein |first=Eric W. |title=Stoneham Number |url=https://mathworld.wolfram.com/StonehamNumber.html |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=mathworld.wolfram.com |language=en}}</ref>
@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 ===Plutarch===
-[[Plutarch]], in ''[[Moralia]]'',<ref>Symposiacs, Book IX, questions II & III [http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/p/plutarch/symposiacs/chapter9.html#section91 On-line text] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013230602/http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/p/plutarch/symposiacs/chapter9.html#section91 |date=13 October 2008 }} at Adelaide library</ref> presents a discussion on why the letter alpha stands first in the alphabet. Ammonius asks Plutarch what he, being a [[Boeotia]]n, has to say for [[Cadmus]], the [[Phoenicia]]n who reputedly settled in [[Thebes (Greece)|Thebes]] and introduced the alphabet to Greece, placing ''alpha'' first because it is the Phoenician name for [[ox]]—which, unlike [[Hesiod]],<ref>Hesiod, in ''[[Works and Days]]'' (see on [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0132:card=405 Perseus Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117133713/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0132%3Acard%3D405 |date=17 January 2021 }}), advises the early Greek farmers, "First of all, get a house, then a woman and third, an ox for the plough."</ref> the Phoenicians considered not the second or third, but the first of all necessities. "Nothing at all," Plutarch replied. He then added that he would rather be assisted by [[Lamprias]], his own grandfather, than by [[Dionysus]]' grandfather, i.e. Cadmus. For Lamprias had said that the first articulate sound made is "alpha", because it is very plain and simple—the air coming off the mouth does not require any motion of the tongue—and therefore this is the first sound that children make.
+[[Plutarch]], in ''[[Moralia]]'',<ref>Symposiacs, Book IX, questions II & III [http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/p/plutarch/symposiacs/chapter9.html#section91 On-line text] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013230602/http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/p/plutarch/symposiacs/chapter9.html#section91 |date=13 October 2008 }} at Adelaide library</ref> presents a discussion on why the letter alpha stands first in the alphabet. Ammonius asks Plutarch what he, being a [[Boeotia]]n, has to say for [[Cadmus]], the [[Phoenicia]]n who reputedly settled in [[Thebes (Greece)|Thebes]] and introduced the alphabet to Greece, placing ''alpha'' first because it is the Phoenician name for [[ox]]—which, unlike [[Hesiod]],<ref>Hesiod, in ''[[Works and Days]]'' (see on [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0132:card=405 Perseus Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117133713/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0132%3Acard%3D405 |date=17 January 2021 }}), advises the early Greek farmers, "First of all, get a house, then a woman and third, an ox for the plough."</ref> the Phoenicians considered not the second or third, but the first of all necessities. "Nothing at all," Plutarch replied. He then added that he would rather be assisted by [[Lamprias]], his own grandfather, than by [[Dionysus]]' grandfather, i.e. Cadmus. For Lamprias had said that the first articulate sound made is "alpha", because it is very plain and simple—the air coming off the mouth does not require any motion of the tongue—and therefore this is the first sound that children make.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}
 According to Plutarch's natural order of attribution of the [[vowel]]s to the [[planet]]s, alpha was connected with the [[Moon]].
 ===Alpha and Omega===
+{{main|Alpha and Omega}}
 [[Image: Königsberg Marienkirche - Fenster 1a AlphaOmega.jpg|right|thumb|Stained glass featuring Alpha and Omega in the {{ill|Marienkirche (Königsberg in Bayern)|de|lt=Königsberg in Bayern Marienkirche}}]]
-{{main|Alpha and Omega}}
 As the first letter of the alphabet, Alpha as a [[Greek numeral]] came to represent the number [[1 (number)|1]].

Alpha: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:15, 12 December 2025

Contents

Uses

Greek

Greek grammar

Mathematics and science

International Phonetic Alphabet

History and symbolism

Origin

Plutarch

Alpha and Omega

Unicode

Notes

References

Navigation menu

Alpha: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:15, 12 December 2025

Uses

Greek

Greek grammar

Mathematics and science

International Phonetic Alphabet

History and symbolism

Origin

Plutarch

Alpha and Omega

Unicode

Notes

References

Navigation menu

Search