What is the ABC?

Everyone knows the expression "elementary truths". So they call something elementary, uncomplicated for understanding. But why are simple truths called "alphabets"? And anyway, what is the alphabet?

History of the word

The word "alphabet" is actually a copythe Greek word "alphabetos" ("alphabet"). In both cases, the first letters are used: in Greek, alpha and beta. He created the Slavic alphabet in the IX. Cyril used the letters "az-i," beeches "- a letter, and there was one more letter" veda "- to know (know). It turned out: "I recognized the letters."

Thus, the alphabet is called the alphabet, that is, letters located in a certain order.

The Slavic alphabet, created by the brothers Methodius and Cyril (Cyrillic) in Russia appeared along with the adoption of Christianity.

In addition, the alphabet is called a textbook, according to whichlearn reading and writing. These books contain not only letters in order, but also words familiar to children, starting with these letters, and illustrations to them. The alphabet-textbook is also called a primer.

This word is also used in a figurative sense, meaning certain elementary concepts.

How many alphabets

There is also the concept of a musical alphabet - conventional signs (notes) for the image of sounds (recording of music).

In general, in the broad sense of the alphabet is called a certain code, any system of signs.

For example, what is Morse code (or Morse code)? This is the telegraph code for the transmission of words. Each sign of "Morzyanka" is a combination of dots and dashes.

Another coding system is the alphabet of the blind, orbraille. In this alphabet, the letters are represented by relief points arranged according to a special scheme. Relief is needed to ensure that blind people can touch (tactilely) determine what they have written.

So, it turns out, how many meanings, from the familiar word "alphabet" from childhood!