alpha-

prefix

Related to or characteristic of an alphabet or alphabetic characters.

OriginEnglish alphabet ← Middle English alphabete ← Classical Latin alphabētum →
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Meanings

prefix
  1. Related to or characteristic of an alphabet or alphabetic characters.

Origin

  1. Proto-Semitic*ʔalp-
  2. Phoenician𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)
  3. Ancient Greekἄλφα (álpha)
  4. Proto-Semitic*bayt-
  5. Phoenician𐤁𐤕 (bt)
  6. Ancient Greekβῆτᾰ (bêtă)
  7. Ancient Greekἀλφάβητος (alphábētos)
  8. Medieval Greekἀλφάβητον (alphábēton)
  9. Classical Latinalphabētum
  10. Middle Englishalphabete
  11. Englishalphabet
  12. Englishalpha-

From a shortening of alphabet.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

alpha-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha-

MLA

“alpha-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha-. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alpha-,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha-.

Source: alpha- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.