digamma

American  

[dahy-gam-uh] / daɪˈgæm ə /

noun

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

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

U vero loco consonantis posita eandem prorsus in omnibus vim habuit apud Latinos quam apud Aeolis digamma.

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

But what the digamma does it matter to Esperanto whether we are interested in it or not?

From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Clark, Walter John

It is worth all the digamma disquisitions in the world; and France, as well as Italy, was once rich in historical Literati.

From A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Two by Dibdin, Thomas Frognall

The digamma, I am informed, is a letter that was lost in prehistoric times from the Greek alphabet.

From Chimney-Pot Papers by Endell, Fritz August Gottfried

Think of living forty years, like Doctor Chocker, on the husks of the digamma!

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 15, No. 87, January, 1865 by Various