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What is the letter P in Ogham?

Published in Ogham Script 2 mins read

The letter P in Ogham is represented by the character ᚘ, known as pín and later as iphín. This character is part of the supplementary group of Ogham letters called the Forfeda.

Understanding the Ogham Character for P

Ogham is an ancient alphabet, primarily used to write the early Irish language, typically inscribed on monumental stone pillars. While the core Ogham alphabet consists of twenty characters, additional letters, known as Forfeda (meaning "additional letters"), were later introduced to accommodate sounds not present in the original system or to represent diphthongs. The character for 'P' falls into this supplementary category.

The representation of 'P' is not a primary Ogham letter but rather a later addition, which reflects the evolving needs of the language and its pronunciation over time.

Here's a breakdown of the Ogham character for P:

Ogham Letter Latin Equiv. Name (Early/Later) Description
P, later IO pín, later iphín A supplementary Ogham character (Forfeda) introduced to represent the 'P' sound, and later also associated with 'IO'.

This particular Ogham character, ᚘ, initially represented the 'P' sound. Over time, its phonetic association evolved, and it also came to represent the 'IO' sound, hence the dual naming conventions of pín and iphín. Its inclusion as a Forfed illustrates the adaptability of the Ogham script beyond its original set of twenty characters to encompass new sounds or distinguish existing ones more precisely, as explored in resources like the Ogham Alphabet Explained.