ABC
/ˌeɪ.biːˈsiː/noun
The first three letters of the English alphabet, or the basic elements of a subject.
Did you know?The word “alphabet” itself was formed from the first two Greek letter names—alpha and beta—just as “ABC” comes from the first three English letter names.
Etymological Timeline
2nd Millennium BCE
Proto-Canaanite
𐤀 𐤁 𐤂
“The first three consonantal signs, later associated with ox, house, and camel or throwing-stick imagery in Semitic letter traditions.”
Ancient Phoenician
Phoenician
ʾlp bt gml
“The opening sequence of the consonantal alphabet: aleph, beth, gimel.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἄλφα βῆτα
“Alpha beta, the first two names of the Greek alphabet.”
Middle English
English
abecé
“The alphabet, named from the first four letter names: a, b, c, and d.”
15th Century
English
ABC
“The first three letters of the alphabet; also the fundamentals of reading or a subject.”
Modern English
English
ABC
“The alphabet or the elementary basics of a topic.”