Re: Greek letters ...

At 9:01 pm +0000 16/4/01, Raymond Brown wrote:
>At 12:24 pm -0400 16/4/01, Andreas Johansson wrote:
[snip]
>
>>Thanks, but it was the CAPITAL Sigma I asked about ... which I apparently
>>forgot to write out. Sorry.
>
>The answer is "Yes".
Yep - and I've done a bit more looking.  The C shape capital sigma is more
ancient than the Roman Empire.  It was in use at least as early as the 4th
cent. BC apparently, for in that century Aiskrion says of the new moon:
to kalon ouranou neon sigma = heaven's beautiful new sigma

It was certainly well-established by Roman imperial times.  Martial, e.g.
describes a semi-circular settee as being shaped like a sigma.

My impression is that while … was normally use in carved inscriptions, the
normal Hellenistic capital hand-written sigma was C.
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At 10:27 pm -0400 16/4/01, Muke Tever wrote:
[snip]
>
>This 'lunate sigma' is why Cyrillic uses 'C' for /s/, right?
Exactly, from the Hellenistic upper-case lunate sigma.

Ray.

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A mind which thinks at its own expense
will always interfere with language.
                   [J.G. Hamann 1760]
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