Latin | |
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Script type | |
Time period | c. 700 BC – present |
Official script | Roman Republic and Roman Empire |
Languages | Latin |
Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
Child systems | Numerous Latin alphabets; also more divergent derivations such as Osage |
Sister systems | |
ISO 15924 | |
ISO 15924 | Latn (215), Latin |
Unicode | |
Unicode alias | Latin |
See Latin script in Unicode | |
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Calligraphy |
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The Latin alphabet, also known as the Roman alphabet, is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered excepting several letters splitting—i.e. ⟨I⟩ from ⟨J⟩, and ⟨U⟩ from ⟨V⟩—additions such as ⟨W⟩, and extensions such as letters with diacritics, it forms the Latin script that is used to write most languages of modern Europe, Africa, America and Oceania. Its basic modern inventory is standardised as the ISO basic Latin alphabet.