Sho (letter) facts for kids
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Quick facts for kids Greek alphabet |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Αα | Alpha | Νν | Nu |
| Ββ | Beta | Ξξ | Xi |
| Γγ | Gamma | Οο | Omicron |
| Δδ | Delta | Ππ | Pi |
| Εε | Epsilon | Ρρ | Rho |
| Ζζ | Zeta | Σσ | Sigma |
| Ηη | Eta | Ττ | Tau |
| Θθ | Theta | Υυ | Upsilon |
| Ιι | Iota | Φφ | Phi |
| Κκ | Kappa | Χχ | Chi |
| Λλ | Lambda | Ψψ | Psi |
| Μμ | Mu | Ωω | Omega |
| Other letters | |||
| Ϝϝ | Digamma | Ϟϟ | Koppa |
| Ϛϛ | Stigma | Ϡϡ | Sampi |
| Ͱͱ | Heta | Ϸϸ | Sho |
| Ϻϻ | San | ||
Sho (uppercase Ϸ, lowercase ϸ) was a special letter. It was added to the Greek alphabet a long time ago. People used it to write the Bactrian language. This letter helped them write a specific "sh" sound.
Contents
What is the Letter Sho?
Sho is a unique letter that looks a bit like a "P" with an extra line. It was not one of the original letters in the Ancient Greek alphabet. Instead, it was created later for a very specific reason.
A Special Greek Letter
The Greek alphabet is one of the oldest and most famous writing systems. It has been used for thousands of years. However, some languages needed sounds that the standard Greek alphabet didn't have. Sho was one of these special additions. It was made to help people write a particular sound.
Writing the Bactrian Language
Sho was mainly used for the Bactrian language. Bactrian was an ancient language spoken in a region called Bactria. This area is now part of countries like Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The people who spoke Bactrian needed a way to write their "sh" sound. The standard Greek alphabet did not have a letter for this sound. So, they created Sho to fill that gap.
When Was Sho Used?
The letter Sho was first used around the 1st century AD. It became an important part of writing the Bactrian language. It was used for several centuries. However, by the 9th century AD, the Bactrian language itself began to fade away. As the language disappeared, so did the need for the letter Sho.
Sho on Ancient Coins
One cool place where you can see the letter Sho is on ancient coins. For example, coins from King Kanishka often feature this letter. Kanishka was a powerful ruler of the Kushan Empire. His coins used the Bactrian language. They show the letter Sho as part of his royal titles. This helps us understand how important Sho was for writing at that time.
Images for kids
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Coin of king Kanishka, with the inscription ϷΑΟΝΑΝΟϷΑΟ ΚΑΝΗϷΚΙ ΚΟϷΑΝΟ (Šaonanošao Kanēški Košano): "King of Kings, Kanishka the Kushan".
