Alefs

/ˈɑːlɛfs/ noun

Definition

Plural of alef; the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (also spelled aleph), or multiple instances of this letter.

Etymology

From Hebrew aleph, meaning 'ox' (the letter originally depicted an ox head). The spelling 'alef' is an alternate transliteration from Hebrew.

Kelly Says

Alefs are living fossils of language—the Hebrew letter whose name means 'ox' is the ancestor of the letter 'A' in English, showing how animal pictures became abstract symbols!

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