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

• 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

Sometimes the sound of the digamma is given, we are told, where the character itself 31 is not written.

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

The figure of the letter F is the same as that of the ancient Greek digamma, which it also closely resembles in power.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various

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

Postea vero in Latinis verbis placuit pro p et h, f scribi, ut fama, filius, facio, loco autem digamma u pro consonante, quod cognatione soni videbatur affinis esse digamma ea littera.

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

Although the digamma escapes our salt, somewhere he lurks on the lonely mountains.

From Chimney-Pot Papers by Endell, Fritz August Gottfried