Poetry: Ash

Published in 2024

 We are skidding off the map. 

We make a hole in the air

as we fall.

 

The air is stuffed with ash

each time an F-16 drops

its bombs on cemeteries. 

 

 

 

 

Mosab Abu Toha (1992- )

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toha, M. A. (2024) Forest of Noise. Ash 

English Lesson 1: Letter Aa's History and Meaning

Letter a in its upper and lower form

We all know the symbol Aa as the first letter of English alphabet. That said, is letter Aa English? Before we delve into the roots of the letter Aa, its origin and what language or people it belongs to, let's go over the meaning and usage of letter Aa in English language first.

As stated earlier, letter Aa is the first letter of English alphabet. It is used in English as an upper case letter A and lower case letter a depending on where it is used in a sentence. 

Aa

A second usage for letter A is, a grade rating a student’s work as superior.

Before 1900 individual schools had their customized grading scales. Starting in 1900s, with compulsory K-12 education, grading had to be standardized, and by the 1940s, the A-F grading system emerged as “the dominant grading scheme, along with two other systems that would eventually be fused together with it: the 4.0 scale and the 100 percent system.

Examples:  Jimmy received an A in Science.

                  Allen didn’t get an A in math.

 A as a grading scale is always used as an upper case letter.

Lastly, letter Aa also means indefinite article. What is an indefinite article? Indefinite article is a determiner- a and an in English- that introduces a noun phrase and implies that the thing referred to is nonspecific. Typically, the indefinite article is used to introduce new concepts into a discourse.

Aa is used to indicate an unspecified or unidentified individual; meaning, one or someone.

Examples: There is a man outside.

                 There is a girl in front of the building.

                 She bought me a book.

                 Government is an art.

                 He went to a public school.

Letter Aa is the first letter of Latin alphabet. Latin alphabet is also known as Roman alphabet. The Latin or Roman alphabet, whichever is preferred to be used, was originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. According to Britannica, Latin alphabet was developed from the Etruscan alphabet, an ancient civilization which existed in what is called central and northern Italy today, at some time before 600 BCE, letter Aa can be traced through Etruscan, Greek, and Phoenician scripts to the North Semitic alphabet used in Syria and Palestine about 1100 BCE. The earliest inscription in the Latin alphabet appears on the Praeneste Fibula, a cloak pin dating from about the 7th century BCE, which reads, “MANIOS MED FHEFHAKED NUMASIOI” (in Classical Latin: “Manius me fecit Numerio,” meaning “Manius made me for Numerius”). Dated not much later than this is a vertical inscription on a small pillar in the Roman Forum, and the Duenos inscription on a vase found near the Quirinal (a hill in Rome) probably dates to the 6th century BCE but experts don't agree on the date.

æsc/ Ash-tree

Has English ever had its own symbol(s) for letter Aa or an alphabet? There has never been an English symbol or alphabet since English people came to existence as an ethnic group in Britain however, as part of a larger Anglo-Saxon group, English people may have used Anglo-Saxon runes before they borrowed from Latin alphabet. The image for letter a is possibly ᚫ in Anglo-Saxon runes. This and rest of the Anglo-Saxon rune symbols had a significant religious meaning for Anglo-Saxons. This symbol also represents æsc ash-tree. Protection of the soul and healing in pre-Christian- pagan Anglo-Saxon religion. 

In its root, the letter Aa was created in the land what is now called as Syria and Palestine from an alphabet called North Semitic alphabet sometime around 11th century BCE. It can be a shaky assumption but we can surmise that the people were black or brown Semitic people. However, we may not state with authority the precise ethnic group or groups who may have created the letter Aa. 

The response for our original question of, is letter Aa English, is a firm -no- letter Aa is not English. English people were fortunate to have access to an already invented symbol to use when they arrived in Britain.

(2019, July 20) Anglo-Saxon Runes Origins and History - Futhorc of the Anglo-Saxons, Forefathers Art https://forefathers-art.com/anglo-saxon-runes-futhorc-of-the-anglo-saxons

Latin Alphabet, Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Latin-alphabet

Schneider, J. & Hutt, E. (2013). Making the grade: a history of the A-F marking scheme. 

(2016) The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2nd printing. Martinsburg, WV

Poetry: Inanna

Inanna (c. 4000-3100 BCE)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am Inanna, the Goddess,

I create the love and the passion,

What brings you joy is between my legs,

Every movement becomes an ecstasy,

Every movement takes you one step closer to the heavens.

 

Breathlessly you moan,

And with pleasure you groan,

You think of me when you feel down,

You think of me when you want to get down.

 

You pray to me,

I am the answer to your prayers,

I am Inanna, the Goddess,

I give life to the living.

 

It is me who is irresistible,

I am the source of pleasure.

 

My love is bigger and deeper than the oceans,

My passion is sharper than swords,

My infatuation is invincible,

My love is to die for,

 

You pray to me,

I am the answer to your prayers,

I am Inanna, the Goddess,

I give life to the living.  

Williams, C. (2013, August 24) Inanna. 

Williams, C. (2013, August 7) Tell me Why https://historicalmenwomenplaces.blogspot.com/2024/06/tell-me-why.html?spref=tw