Ancient Scripts: Gothic
The Gothic language was the first recorded Germanic
language. The Goths were becoming Christianized by the fourth century CE. At
that time, Goths had their own alphabet (Futhark). Since it was a pagan invention,
Bishop Wulfila, with the help of a Greek missionary, "took the Greek
alphabet, added letters from Latin and Futhark alphabets, and created a new
alphabet to write the Gothic language."(Lawrence 1996-2012)
Gothic alphabet |
Since the letters were adopted from the Greek, two letters
don't make any sound. Each letter of the Classical Greek alphabet has a number
associated to it.
The Gothic alphabet faded in most of Europe by the ninth
century CE. Although the Gothic language survived in theatres, it still became
extinct in the seventeenth century CE.
Ancient
Scripts, 2014. Gothic. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ancientscripts.com/gothic.html. [Accessed 22 April 2014].
Gotica, 2014. About
the Gothic language. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.wulfila.be/gothic/gotica/. [Accessed 22 April 2014].
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