The word ‘alphabet’ exists in every language—but, I thought to myself… how is it said across the world?
Inspired by the word prompt of “alphabet,"—That question led me down a fascinating path (and a lot of research), exploring not just the names of alphabets, but the cultures and histories behind them. This A-to-Z poem is a celebration of the letters that shape our world.
A Poem of Alphabets
A is for Abjad, where letters took flight,
B for Barṇamālā, a garland of light.
C hums in Cyrillic, where Азбука sings,
D carves in Devanagari, fit for the kings.
E echoes Ελληνικά, where wisdom was penned,
F for the forms that time won’t transcend.
G glides through Gutenberg, pressing the past,
H hums in Hangul, both structured and vast.
I bends in Italics, where letters lean free,
J jots in Jawi, where curves meet the sea.
K sharpens Katakana, its angles precise,
L lifts Latin, in echoes concise.
M murmurs Μικρά γράμματα, soft as the breeze,
N etches Norse runes, carved deep into trees.
O opens Ogham, on stones standing tall,
P paints in Phoenician, the root of them all.
Q quills in Qalam, where ink starts to stream,
R rolls in Roman, where letters still gleam.
S sings through Stafróf, windswept and strong,
T traces Tifinagh, where desert tales belong.
U unfolds Ukrainian, Алфавіт bright,
V voices Vietnamese, Bảng chữ cái in sight.
W whispers Woruba, a lost script’s refrain,
X marks the echoes of glyphs gone in vain.
Y yokes the Yiddish, with curves full of grace,
Z zigs through Zulu, where rhythms embrace.
From Abjad to Azbuka, from Runes to Tifinagh,
The alphabet dances, a world-built collage.
(c) Eric Montgomery
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