The Ogham Alphabet
Ogham is an early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the Archaic Irish language and later Old Irish. Often referred to as the “Celtic Tree Alphabet,” it is unique for its linear structure, where characters are formed by a series of notches or lines carved along a central “stem” line.
Because it was not developed for English words, we use it as a ‘transliteration’ of the sounds rather than a direct ‘translation’
Key Characteristics
- Structure: The script consists of 20 original letters (feda), arranged into four groups (aicmí). Each group contains five letters made of one to five strokes. Five extra ‘forfeda’ group letters we’re also added.
- Appearance: It is typically read vertically from bottom to top when carved on stone, or horizontally from left to right in manuscripts.
- Usage: While it appears in later manuscripts, its most famous remnants are found on monumental stone inscriptions scattered across Ireland and western Britain. These stones often served as boundary markers or memorials, typically bearing the name of an individual and their lineage.
The Tree Connection
In later traditions, particularly within the Auraicept na n-Éces (the Scholars’ Primer), each letter became associated with the name of a specific tree or plant. For example:
- Beith (B) is associated with the Birch tree.
- Duir (D) is associated with the Oak tree.
- Coll (C) is associated with the Hazel tree.
This tool simply converts Latin characters (eg. ABC) to ogham symbols (eg. ᚐᚁᚉ) – this is called transliteration. This tool does not translate from English to Primitive Irish
Ogham Transliteration
Current Text Details
| Sym | Letter | Name | Tree / Plant | Meaning |
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