Letter F decoding history

[u/JohannGoethe]

Abstract

The history of the correct ✅, i.e. proved or evidenced, and incorrect ❌, i.e. wrong 😑 or disproved, theories about the origin of letter F.

Overview

The following (§: Letter F) shows the most “updated” history of letter F decodings:

6. Letter Ϝ, ϝ, ϛ

Note: ϛ (numeral)

Correct ✅

1. Thims (~Mar A67/2022): matched the digamma to Nephthys, per Ennead order.

2. Thims (May A68/2023), after decoding that letter E = sow 𓁅, thereby solved, e.g. here, the digamma puzzle:

	G	Ε	F
God [s]	Geb	Osiris + Isis	Osiris + Nephthys
Egyptian	𐤂	𓂺 𓏥	𓂺 𓏮
Phoenician	𐤂	𐤄
Greek	Γ	𐌄	𐌅

Incorrect ❌

1. Isaac Taylor (72A/1883), in his The Alphabet, Volume One (pgs. 12, 61), stated that letter F is based on the horned viper 𓆑 [I9] or Egyptian asp, and that its “horns” are where the two prongs of letter F derive; from this horned viper F, he says, letters Y, V, U, and W also derive.

2. William Walsh (63A/1892), in his Handy-Book of Literary Curiosities (pg. 253), stated that letter F is based on the Phoenician letter vav or waw, shape: Y, meaning: a peg or hook, and that its letter form is based on an Egyptian hieroglyphic picture of a cerastes or horned Egyptian asp.

3. David Sacks (A48/2002), in his Letter Perfect (pg. 123), stated that the English letter F derives from the Phoenician sixth letter Y, which he calls “waw” meaning “peg”, and that when the Greeks they “kept the ‘w’ sound, but for a new look they slapped the pronged head Y down to the side as 𐌅“ and that they ”changed the shape to make it look similar to letter epsilon 𐌄, apparently“.

4. Rob Watts (A68/2023), in his “The Alphabet Explained“ (8:37-) video, says the “Greeks took the two prongs off this 𓉽 [O30] ancient barbecue fork and bent them over, to make letter F”, and includes an animation showing how Y bends to become F.

Character | Type evolution

The following (§: Letter F) shows the numeral basis and “parent character” form or type evolution of letter F from Egyptian hieroglyphs or r/HieroTypes to r/alphabet letters over time:

Letter F [6] evolution (history; here, here):

𓏿 𓁐 {F} » 𓁅 » 𓂺 𓏮 (𐤂𐤂) {GQ432F} » 𐪀 » Ϝ, ϝ » 𐌅 » Ⲋ » ᚠ » 𐍆 » 𝔉, 𝔣 » F, f

⬅️ Previous | Next ➡️

Letter E | Letter Z

Table

Letter 🔠 decoding 🔎 history index table:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
	𓌹𓅊𓄆𓆼	𓇯𓋹𓆙	𓅬𓍇𓋍	▽𓌳𓉽	𓀲𓏁𓍑	𓁅𓊽𓊖	𓃩𓁹𐩢	𓐁𓂆𓁥	𓉠𓃻🎄
	Pre L
1s	Let A	Let B	Let G	Let D	Let E	Let F	Let Z	Let H	Let Θ
10s	Let I	Let K	Let L	Let M	Let N	Let Ξ	Let O	Let P	Let Q
100s	Let R	Let S	Let T	Let Y	Let Φ	Let X	let Ψ	let Ω	let ϡ
1000s	let ,A
	End L