# sho

CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sho
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

the name of a letter in the old Greek alphabet that was used to write the Bactrian language. It looks a bit like the letter 'p' with a longer tail.

For teachers: a letter added to the Greek alphabet to represent the voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant /ʃ/ in the Bactrian language. It is visually similar to the letter 'thorn' or a modified 'rho'.

## Examples

- The scribe used the letter sho to write the king's name.
- Linguists identified the unique character as sho while studying ancient inscriptions from the Kushan Empire.
- The inclusion of sho in the Bactrian script demonstrates how the Greek alphabet was adapted to accommodate phonemes not present in the Attic or Ionic dialects.

## Usage notes

- Primarily used in historical linguistics and epigraphy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.