Letter Names of the Latin Alphabet

Abstract

Contemporary and earlier studies of the Latin language have failed to present and discuss adequately letter names of the Latin alphabet—in contrast, for example, with the Greek alpha, beta, gamma, etc. Several theories, and their derivation, about the letter names are presented. The ancient evidence—from the third/second century B.C. to the seventh century A.D.—is rather scant and not always clear. While the names of the vowels and of all the consonants except the continuants (F, L, M, N, R, S, X) seem certain, the names of these continuants seem to have undergone changes in the course of history and to be clear only toward the end of antiquity (from the fourth century A.D. on).