ⲁ first letter of alphabet, called ⲁⲗⲫⲁ S (PS 353, Br 124, Leyd 458, P 1313 77, My 38) & B (Ap 1 8, K1, Stern p 418), الفة. As numeral = one BF, rarely S (Br 127) except in semi-Gk documents. Represents vowels unwritten in earlier hierogl., but sometimes visible in the half-consonants of later & of dem. Dialectal equivalents: a. S ⲁ = elsewhere (AF) ⲉ, ⲏ, as ⲁⲗ, ⲁⲩⲁⲛ, ⲃⲁϩⲥⲉ, ⲙⲁ, ⲙⲁⲁⲃ, ⲡⲁϩⲟⲩ, ⲣⲙⲙⲁⲟ, ⲟⲩⲁϩⲉ, ϩⲧⲁⲓ. b. S ⲁ = elsewhere ⲟ (AB), as ⲁⲛϩ, ⲕⲁⲉ, ⲥⲛⲁⲩ. c. ⲁ elsewhere (mostly B) = S ⲉ, as ⲉⲃⲟⲧ, ⲉⲗⲟⲟⲗⲉ, ⲉⲩⲱ, ⲕⲉⲗⲉⲛⲕⲉϩ, ⲙⲉϩ-, ϩⲉⲙⲛⲓϥⲉ, (or A) as ⲃⲉⲛⲓⲡⲉ, ⲉ-, ⲉⲣⲏⲩ, ⲉⲛⲉϩ. d. ⲁ elsewhere (AF) = S ⲟ, as ⲁⲗⲟⲩ, ⲉⲓⲟⲟⲣ, ⲕⲟⲉⲓϩ, ⲗⲟ, ⲙⲁϣⲟ, ⲟⲉⲓⲙⲉ, ⲟⲟⲧⲉ, ϩⲟⲟⲗⲉ & in causatives, as ⲧⲁⲗⲟ, ⲑⲃⲃⲓⲟ. e. S final ⲁ = B ⲁⲓ, as ⲛⲁ, ⲟⲩⲁ, ϣⲁ. f. B adds prosthetic ⲁ- in ⲁⲙⲟⲛⲓ, ⲁⲛⲁⲓⲱ, ⲁⲟⲩⲱ await, ⲁⲟⲩⲱⲛ, ⲁⲟⲩⲏⲣ, ⲁϫⲟ, ⲁϫⲛ, ⲁϭⲟ, F in ⲁⲛⲟⲩϩ, S (?) in ⲁⲧⲟ. On changes from & to ⲁ in AA2 v Rösch 35, El 27, AP Einl 14; Sa v Ep 1 236; in F v Asmus 16. Before final ϩ SF in 3-rad. words ⲁ sometimes replaces ĕ, as ⲉⲓⲱⲣⲁϩ, ⲥⲱⲟⲩⲁϩ (cf JKP 2 46 48 ⲥⲱⲟⲩϩⲁ), ⲱⲛⲁϩ.
