This is called acrophony and is continuously used to varying degrees in Samaritan, Aramaic, Syriac, Hebrew, Greek, and Arabic.
ðɪs ɪz kˈɔːld ækɹˈɑːfəni ænd ɪz kəntˈɪnjuːəsli jˈuːzd tə vˈɛɹiɪŋ dᵻɡɹˈiːz ɪn sɐmˈæɹɪtən, ˌæɹɐmˈeɪɪk, sˈɪɹiˌæk, hˈiːbɹuː, ɡɹˈiːk, ænd ˈæɹɐbˌɪk.