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

Adeo autem hoc verum est quod pro Aeolico digamma ϝ u ponitur.

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

So too the digamma is called “Aeolic” by grammarians, and is found on Aeolic and Doric inscriptions.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 6 "Home, Daniel" to "Hortensius, Quintus" by Various

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

Spectators threw their hats into the trees, yelled themselves hoarse, and I saw several old mountaineers who understood no more of base-ball than of the lost digamma in Greek going wild with the general contagion.

From A Knight of the Cumberland by Fox, John

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

From Chimney-Pot Papers by Endell, Fritz August Gottfried