The Phoenicians were lovers of the sea, and from this source two letters
were derived, M and N. They explored not only all of the Mediterranean
shore at an early date, but they also sailed boldly through the gates of
Gibraltar, and “beyond the world” where they found Britain. They were
the first navigators that sailed by night and it is said they discovered
the north star. Therefore it is not surprising that water “mem” (maim)
is the source of M and that fish, “nun” (noon) the source of N. The
letter M has changed but little in form, it is the Greek letter “Mu” and
the Roman M (em). The head of the fish, from which the letter N is
pictured, was simplified even more than the head of the ox, in A. It no
doubt represents the fisherman’s viewpoint—not a swimming fish but a
suspended one. The Greeks reversed the stroke and called it “Nu” and the
Romans did not change its form but called it N (en).
O
In Phoenicia, as in Egypt, China and Mexico, the eye is one of the
commonest elements found in the writing. It was called “Ayin” (ah-yin).
The Greeks used it for two sounds now designated by “omicron,” little
“o,” and “omega,” great “o,” the letter which, strangely, was placed at
the end of the Greek alphabet. We find in the Bible: “I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” How many
today would think of using the alphabet for such an important
illustration? It is easy to trace the Roman O (oh) from its Greek
parent, “omicron.”
P
Many letter pictures run in pairs—finger and hand, water and fish—and
now after eye we find mouth “pi” (pe) which represents the lower lip.
The Greeks made little change in the name or shape at first, but later
they introduced the angles and made the downward strokes equal. The
Romans formed the letter by continuing the curve farther than the
Phoenicians and called it “pe” (pay).