Meaning

noun the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet

noun the beginning of a series or sequence; --Revelations

adjective first in order of importance

originEtymology tree Proto-Semitic *ʔalp- Phoenician 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)bor. Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha)bor. English alpha From the Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), the first letter of the Greek alphabet, from the Phoenician 𐤀 (ʾ, “aleph”). Doublet of alif and aleph.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0