different between alphabet vs abecedary

English

Etymology

Doublet of alfabeto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æl.f?.b?t/
• (uncommon) IPA^(key): /?æl.f?.b?t/
• Hyphenation: al?pha?bet

Noun

alphabet (plural alphabets)

1. The set of letters used when writing in a language.

2. A writing system in which letters represent phonemes. (Contrast e.g. logography, a writing system in which each character represents a word, and syllabary, in which each character represents a syllable.)
   1. A writing system in which there are letters for the consonant and vowel phonemes. (Contrast e.g. abjad.)
3. (computer science) A typically finite set of distinguishable symbols.

4. (India, Hong Kong, Singapore) An individual letter of an alphabet; an alphabetic character.
5. The simplest rudiments; elements.

Synonyms

• ABC, absey

Hypernyms

• (linguistics): signary

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Verb

alphabet (third-person singular simple present alphabets, present participle alphabeting, simple past and past participle alphabeted)

1. (rare) To designate by the letters of the alphabet; to arrange alphabetically.

Synonyms

• alphabetize

Further reading

• alphabet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al.fa.b?/
• Rhymes: -?
• Homophone: alphabets

Noun

alphabet m (plural alphabets)

1. alphabet (set of letters considered as a group)

Derived terms

• alphabet latin
• alphabet phonétique international

Related terms

• alphabète
• alphabétique
• alphabétiquement
• inalphabète

Further reading

• “alphabet” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle French

Etymology

Noun

alphabet m (plural alphabets)

1. alphabet (set of letters considered as a group)

English

Etymology

From Middle English abecedary, from Medieval Latin abecedarium (“alphabet, ABC primer”), from Late Latin abecedarius (“of the alphabet”), formed from the first four letters of the Latin alphabet + -arius.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?e?.bi?.?si?.d?.?i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?e?.bi.?si.d?.i/, /?e?.bi.?si.d?.?i/

Noun

abecedary (plural abecedaries)

1. (rare) The alphabet, written out in a teaching book, or carved on a wall; a primer; abecedarium. [from 1350 to 1470]
2. One that teaches or learns the alphabet or the fundamentals of any subject; abecedarian. [from late 16^th century]

Translations

Adjective

abecedary (not comparable)

1. Referring to the alphabet; alphabetical; related to or resembling an abecedarius; abecedarian. [First attested from 1350 to 1470.]

References