Acceptable ways to write it: kaph (kph), kap (kp)
The letter kaph (𐤊) or K/k is the eleventh letter in the Afroasiatic language known as Paleo-Hebrew (Ābarayat). The letter has been equated with the letter K, and the letter C in the English language. However, the usage of the letter C for it is a very rare and inaccurate usage when translating words from Paleo-Hebrew to English. The letter C is more accurately connected to gamal (𐤂).
The Paleo-Hebrew language or the original language of the Ābarayam is one spoken with an emphasis on the rauakh (breath, wind, spirit). With the language of the Ābarayam, each letter has a meaning and a number associated with it that adds meaning to each word they’re used with. Below you will be able to learn more about the letter in Ancient Hebrew, Yiddish Hebrew, Greek, and much more.
Letter Meanings
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𐤊 (k) – ka | palm of the hand, to open, tame, subdue, bend, curve |
| Prefix | Like, as, about, approximately |
| Suffix | Not applicable |
| Number | 20 |
Based on the meaning of the letters the word could be defined as:
Definitions for 𐤊 / k
| Language | Word | Transliteration | Pronunciation | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ābarayat | 𐤊 | k | ka | palm of the hand, to open, tame, subdue, bend, curve |
| English | K k | k | /ˈkeɪ/ | the eleventh letter and the eighth consonant of the modern English alphabet. |
| Hebrew | כ ך | k | /k/ | palm of hand |
| Arabic | ك | k | /k/ | similarity, other like me, likeness |
| Greek | Κ κ | k | [k] | kappa |
Images for 𐤊 / k
History of Meaning
The pictograph of the word is of the open palm of the hand. The palm facing up and bent forms a “cupped” shape. When holding up the open hand with the palm open it appears to represent “wings” symbolizing to open, or to cover, or to allow something. This letter is pronounced as a “k,” as in the word kaph or kitchen when used as a stop.
History of the Letter K
The letter K was introduced in 2000 BCE (1925 AM). Around 800 BC, the Greeks reversed it and took it on as their own “kappa.” Early Greek forms from the island of Thera have some resemblance to the Semitic. The Chalcidic, Etruscan, and Latin forms were identical, and the letter has retained its shape until modern times.
The sound represented by the letter throughout its known history until the present day has been the unvoiced velar stop. Its function in the Latin alphabet was usurped by the letter C, which, taken over as representing the voiced velar, came under the Etruscan influence to represent the unvoiced sound as well. Later the letter G was adapted from C to represent the voiced velar and C stood for the unvoiced only. The letter K fell into disuse except in official formulas or initials such as in the word Kalendae.
History of the Letter C
The letter C was introduced in 1500 CE (2425 AM). The first “C” shape emerged in Phoenician and stood for a foot, a hunter’s stick. It began to have more of a boomerang shape. The Greeks renamed it “gamma” and when they switched to reading from right to left to left to right in 500 BC, they flipped the shape. As the letter spread to Italy, it took on a more crescent shape, and the C as we know it today was born.
The sound represented by the letter in Semitic and in Greek was the voiced velar stop, represented in English by the “hard” g. In the Latin alphabet it came to represent the unvoiced velar stop (indicated in English by k as well as c) and was for some time, it appears, used for both the voiced and unvoiced sounds. Finally, a new symbol G was used for the voiced sound, and C displaced K as the representative of the unvoiced stop. Before k the letter is often redundant (e.g., in “thick,” “clock,” etc.).
Definitions for 𐤊𐤉 / kay
When adding the 𐤉 (yad) to the end of a word, it creates a possessive of the original word. It can either signify “my…” or identify a member of a nation. For example, 𐤏𐤁𐤓 (Ābar) is the progenitor, but 𐤏𐤁𐤓𐤉 (Ābaray) is the singular descendant of him also known as a Hebrew.
| Language | Word | Transliteration | Pronunciation | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ābarayat | 𐤊𐤉 | kay | key | a burning, branding, |
| English | branding | branding | brand-ing | the kind, grade, or make of a product or service, as indicated by a stamp, trademark, or the like. |
| Hebrew | כִּי | ki | kee | a burning, branding |
| Arabic | ||||
| Greek |
Images for 𐤊𐤉 / kay
Definitions for 𐤊𐤉𐤌 / kayam
When adding the 𐤌 (mayam) after the 𐤉 (yad) to the end of a word, it creates a plural of the original word. It can identify multiple members of a nation. For example, 𐤏𐤁𐤓 (Ābar) is the progenitor, but 𐤏𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤌 (Ābarayam) are the plural descendants of him also known as Hebrews.
| Language | Word | Transliteration | Pronunciation | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ābarayat | 𐤊𐤉𐤌 | kayam | kaw-yawm | |
| English | ||||
| Hebrew | ||||
| Arabic | ||||
| Greek |
Images for 𐤊𐤉𐤌 / kayam
Definitions for 𐤊𐤉𐤕 / kayat
When adding the 𐤕 (tau) after the 𐤉 (yad) to the end of a word, it creates a plural of the original word. It identifies the language or a sign of a nation’s existence. For example, 𐤏𐤁𐤓 (Ābar) is the progenitor, but 𐤏𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤕 (Ābarayat) is the language of him also known as Paleo-Hebrew language.
| Language | Word | Transliteration | Pronunciation | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ābarayat | 𐤊𐤉𐤕 | kayat | kaw-yawt | |
| English | ||||
| Hebrew | ||||
| Arabic | ||||
| Greek |
Images for 𐤊𐤉𐤕 / kayat
Classification
You can continue your studies of the words by viewing Strong’s entries for:
