Ayb (majuscule: Ա; minuscule: ա; Armenian: այբ) is the first letter of the Armenian alphabet. It has a numerical value of 1. It represents the open back unrounded vowel (/ɑ/) in both variants of the Armenian language. This letter and the letter Ben (Բ բ) are the two first letters in the Armenian alphabet and forms the etymology of the Armenian word այբուբեն (), meaning "alphabet." It is one of the letters originally created by Mesrop Mashtots in the 5th century.
Its prototype is considered to be the Greek letter α (alpha) with the upper arc cut off. A number of Armenian letters are formed in a similar fashion.
It is homoglyphic to the IPA symbol for the close back unrounded vowel, the Cyrillic letter Sha (Шш), the former Zhuang letter Ɯɯ used from 1957 to 1986, the Nushkuri form of the Georgian letter oni (ⴍ), and a lowercase M, but turned.
Distribution
The letter Ա occurs mainly in initial or medial word positions and very rarely in final position. This is explained by the fact that the Proto-Armenian language dropped off word-final vowels in multisyllabic words.
Meanings
As a unit it is a symbol of God. This is because the words "Աստվաց" (God) and "Արարիչ" (Creator) begin with it. Thus, the symbolism of it corresponds to the Greek letter "alpha" in the Book of Revelation, where the Lord says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." ().
Computing codes
Related characters and other similar characters
ⴍ : Nuskhuri variant of the Georgian letter Oni
Ш ш : Cyrillic letter Sha
Ɯ ɯ : Turned M
ɯ : Close back unrounded vowel
A a : Latin letter A
А а : Cyrillic letter A
ა : Georgian letter Ani
Α α : Greek alpha
Braille form
See also
Armenian alphabet
Mesrop Mashtots
Ben (letter)