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SOME PROBLEMS IN DECIPHERING THE EARLY IRISH OGAM ALPHABET

1993; Wiley; Volume: 91; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1467-968x.1993.tb01067.x

1467-968X

Patrick Sims‐Williams,

Linguistics and language evolution

Abstract This paper discusses the origin and antiquity of the ogam script, the transliteration of the letter Fern , and the identification of the Primitive Irish values of the controversial letters Gétal, Straif and hUath. The sources used include inscriptions of the fifth century and later, the Ballinderry dice, ninth‐ and twelfth‐ century manuscript keys, ogam letters found in Anglo‐Saxon texts and in bogus ‘Egyptian’ alphabets, the names of the letters themselves, as illuminated by the Old Irish kennings describing them, and Latin and Irish grammatical tracts. McManus's explanation of Gétal is upheld, the ambiguity of Straif is underlined, and the traditional identification of hUath is defended.