digamma

American  

[dahy-gam-uh] / daɪˈgæm ə /

noun

• digammas
  plural

1. a letter of the early Greek alphabet that generally fell into disuse in Attic Greek before the classical period and that represented a sound similar to English w.

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digamma British  

/ daɪˈɡæmə /

noun

1. a letter of the Greek alphabet ( ) that became obsolete before the classical period of the language. It represented a semivowel like English W and was used as a numeral in later stages of written Greek, and passed into the Roman alphabet as F

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• digammated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• digammas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of digamma

1545–55; < Latin < Greek dígamma, equivalent to di- di- ¹ + gámma gamma; from its resemblance to two gammas placed one over the other, similar to Roman French, which is a descendant of digamma

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

digamma

But he could not do that, so he read the proof-sheets of his new treatise on the digamma.

From Dr. Jolliffe's Boys by Frank Feller

In ὠατωθήσω, ἀκούσομαι, Doric according to Photius, the digamma is lost, as well as in the Tarentine contraction ἆτα, Hesychius.

From The History and Antiquities of the Doric Race, Vol. 2 of 2 by Karl Otfried Müller

Which of these various sounds should be given the digamma appears to have been determined by the law of euphony.

From The Roman Pronunciation of Latin Why we use it and how to use it by Frances Ellen Lord

Among these musty memorial shelves, if anywhere, it would seem that the dusty padding feet of the lost digamma might be heard.

From Chimney-Pot Papers by Fritz August Gottfried Endell

You will fall out of love with digamma To fall in again with Delsarte; You will make a new Syriac grammar, And know all the popes off by heart.

From More Songs From Vagabondia by Bliss Carman