Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 21, 2026

Latin beta

Latin beta, is a letter of the Latin script. Its shape, in uppercase and lowercase, is based on the lowercase shape of the letter beta from the Greek alphabet (β). The letter is used in the various languages of Gabon and has been used in Ndaʼndaʼ language in Cameroon to represent the voiced bilabial fricative, a sound similar to "v" articulated with both lips. It is not typographically and linguistically related to the similar looking letter eszett used in writing German, which represents an sound when following long vowels or diphthongs.

Last revised
Jun 21, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
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406 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Latin beta
Ꞵ ꞵ
Upper and lower case of Latin beta
Usage
Writing systemLatin script
Typealphabetic
Language of originPinji, Benga, Barama, Galwa, Viya, Kande, Kaning'i, Lumbu, Myene, Ndumu, Ngom, Njebi, Vove, Punu, Sangu, Shira, Vumbu, Ndaʼndaʼ language (formerly)
Sound values[β]
In UnicodeU+A7B4, U+A7B5
History
Development
Β β
  • Ꞵ ꞵ
SistersB, Β
Other
Writing directionLeft-to-Right

Latin beta (uppercase: Ꞵ, lowercase: ꞵ), is a letter of the Latin script. Its shape, in uppercase and lowercase, is based on the lowercase shape of the letter beta from the Greek alphabet (β). The letter is used in the various languages of Gabon and has been used in Ndaʼndaʼ language in Cameroon to represent the voiced bilabial fricative, a sound similar to "v" articulated with both lips.1 It is not typographically and linguistically related to the similar looking letter eszett (ẞ, ß) used in writing German, which represents an /s/ sound when following long vowels or diphthongs.

In the IPA, it represents a voiced bilabial fricative, but the Greek beta can also be used.

Usage

The letter is used in the scientific alphabet of the languages of Gabon used for Pinji, Benga, Barama, Galwa, Viya, Kande, Kaning'i, Lumbu, Myene, Ndumu, Ngom, Njebi, Vove, Punu, Sangu, Shira and Vumbu languages.

Additionally, it has been used in 2013 in the alphabet made by Émile Gille Nguendjio for the Ndaʼndaʼ language, for example in the word káꞵé ([ka˥βe˥]), which means "cover".1 Nguendjio replaced it with the letter P in 2014.2

Encodings

Character information
Preview Ꞵ ꞵ
Unicode name LATIN CAPITAL LETTER BETA LATIN SMALL LETTER BETA
Encodings decimal hex dec hex
Unicode 42932 U+A7B4 42933 U+A7B5
UTF-8 234 158 180 EA 9E B4 234 158 181 EA 9E B5
Numeric character reference Ꞵ Ꞵ ꞵ ꞵ
References

References

  1. Émile-Gille Nguendjio, Grammaire pratique du báŋgwà, 2013
  2. Nguendjio, Émile-Gille (2015). A descriptive grammar of Bangwa: a grassfields language of Cameroon. Grammatical analysis of African languages = Grammatische Analysen afrikanischer Sprachen. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. ISBN 978-3-89645-563-5.
Bibliography

Bibliography

  • David Abercrombie, Elements of general phonetics, Edimborgh, Edinburgh University Press, 1967.
  • Émile-Gille Nguendjio, Grammaire pratique du báŋgwà, Éditions Ifrikiya. Interlignes, 2013. OCLC 902724090.
  • Actes du séminaire des experts, Alphabet scientifique des langues du Gabon (20/24 février 1989), Revue Gabonaise des Sciences de l’Homme, Libreville, Université Omar Bongo, vol. 2, 1990.
  • Blanchon, Jean Alain (1999). Douze études sur les langues du Gabon et du Congo-Brazzaville. LINCOM studies in African linguistics. München: LINCOM Europa. p. 228. ISBN 978-3-89586-605-0.
  • Michael Everson, Denis Jacquerye et Chris Lilley, Proposal for the addition of ten Latin characters to the UCS. ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2, Document N4297., 26 July 2012