| Ben | |
|---|---|
| Բ բ | |
 | |
| Usage | |
| Writing system | Armenian alphabet |
| Type | alphabetic |
| Language of origin | Armenian |
| Unicode codepoint | U+0532, U+0562 |
| Alphabetical position | 2nd |
| History | |
| Development |
|
| Time period | Since 405/406 |
| Other | |
| Writing direction | Left-to-Right |
Ben (majuscule: Բ, minuscule: բ; Armenian: բեն) is a letter of the Armenian alphabet, used in the Armenian language.
It was one of the original letters in the Armenian alphabet created by Mesrop Mashtots in 405 AD.[1]
It is speculated to be derived from the Greek letter Beta with the rightmost curves cut off somewhat. Along with the letter Ayb, it forms the word "այբուբեն" (alphabet).
Usage
It is the 2nd letter of the Armenian alphabet, used in the Armenian language. In Eastern Armenian dialect, it is usually pronounced as the voiced bilabial plosive [b], though in some sub-dialects, it can be pronounced as the voiceless bilabial plosive [p], or as the aspirated voiceless bilabial plosive [pʰ]. In the Western Armenian dialect, it is pronounced as the aspirate voiceless bilabial plosive [pʰ].[2] In English, it is transliterated as the letter B.[3] In Armenian numeral system, the letter corresponds to the number 2.[4]
Encodings
| Preview | Բ | բ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unicode name | ARMENIAN CAPITAL LETTER BEN | ARMENIAN SMALL LETTER BEN | ||
| Encodings | decimal | hex | dec | hex |
| Unicode | 1330 | U+0532 | 1378 | U+0562 |
| UTF-8 | 212 178 | D4 B2 | 213 162 | D5 A2 |
| Numeric character reference | Բ | Բ | բ | բ |
References
- ↑ Aleksandra Krawczuka (edditor): Wielka Historia Świata, vol. 3. Świat okresu cywilizacji klasycznych.' Oficyna Wydawnicza FOGRA, 2005, p. 586. ISBN 83-85719-84-9.
- ↑ Takayuki Yoshimura. Modern Eastern Armenian Grammar I. Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 2021. p. 1, 12.
- ↑ Transliteration of Armenian by Thomas T. Pedersen, in KNAB (Kohanimeandmebaas, Place Names Database) of Eesti Keele Instituut (Institute of the Estonian Language).
- ↑ "Numbers in Armenian". omniglot.com. Retrieved 2020-10-12.