Aleph

Aleph is the first letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician 'Ālep , Hebrew 'Ālef א, Aramaic Ālap , Syriac ʾĀlap̄ ܐ, and Arabic Alif ا.

The Phoenician letter is derived from an Egyptian hieroglyph depicting an ox's head and gave rise to the Greek Alpha (Α), being re-interpreted to express not the glottal consonant but the accompanying vowel, and hence the Latin A and Cyrillic А.

In phonetics, aleph /ˈɑːlɛf/ originally represented the glottal stop ([ʔ]), often transliterated as U+02BE ʾ , based on the Greek spiritus lenis ʼ, for example, in the transliteration of the letter name itself, ʾāleph. Even in early use, it occasionally functioned to indicate an initial unstressed vowel before certain consonant clusters, the prosthetic (or prothetic) aleph. In later Semitic languages it could sometimes function as a mater lectionis indicating the presence of a vowel elsewhere (usually long). The period at which use as a mater lectionis began is the subject of some controversy, though it had become well established by the late stage of Old Aramaic (ca. 200 BCE).

Aleph (novel)

Aleph is a 2011 novel by the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho. It is the fourteenth major book by Coelho, and touches on the theme of spirituality. Aleph was written in Coelho's native language, Portuguese. Under the sentence "Some books are read. Aleph is lived", the book is an autobiographical account written in a novel format. Upon release it became a bestselling novel in Brazil.

Plot

When the writer feels that his attempts are not properly being requited with the results he desired, he starts to have doubts about the path he is following and about the things he is doing. Then, as his master J. says, he starts trying to become the "King of [his] Kingdom". The master J. tells him that what the writer is feeling is what he himself had felt some years back. That way, the writer is convinced that what he is in is a phase he cannot withdraw himself from and then he goes to travel. The writer persuades his agent, and then makes out a way to visit Russia for his tour, on the pretext of signing books and holding various programmes for the promotion of his books in the northern Eurasian parts. In Russia, he comes across a girl, Hilal, who happens to be a Turk. She talks about her dream about a friend with a light and so does the story develops. Hilal also joins the writer in his carriage in the train. Then, in a vestibule, the two of them, the writer and Hilal see Aleph, which is defined as "a point where everything, the whole universe is contained".

Aleph (pianist)

Fady Abi Saad, in Arabic فادي أبي سعد (born June 7, 1980), better known by his stage name Aleph Le Piano De L'orient, is a Lebanese pianist, composer, arranger and entrepreneur. He is the owner and Art Director of 8ͤ Art Entertainment.

Background and education

Aleph was born in Ehmej, Lebanon. He discovered music at the age of 3 when he was given a small old wooden piano. Reconstructing familiar tunes from such an early age, he was able to grasp occidental melodies while oriental tunes eluded him. He persevered and finally discovered what was missing: the "quarter tone", a basis of oriental music. His parents who saw his potential finally got him his first “real” piano.

Passionate about sounds, Fady Abi Saad wanted to express Oriental melodies through an Occidental instrument, the piano, with no artifice or subterfuge. During the Lebanese Civil War, Aleph and his family left their hometown for the mountains to seek peace. Aleph spent all of his time in his uncle's studio. His uncle Michael Ramia is a composer who had mastered more than 8 instruments and has been a great influence on him. His days were dedicated to training and entertaining, being the main attraction at all family festivities alongside his cousin Carla Ramia which sang Arabic at an early age, and does so till present day.