A strange SP Ionic character

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Michaelyus
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Location: London, UK

A strange SP Ionic character

Post by Michaelyus »

Can anyone tell me this character's purpose or function, please:

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VOBIS GRATIAS AGO

annis
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Post by annis »

This is sampi, an inheritance from the original Semitic alphabet that was the Greek model. This one was used to indicate the number 900.

The Greeks used the alphabet for numbers as many of the Semitic languages did, alpha is one, beta is two, then switching to units of 10s and 100s. So ρδ’ was 104 (the tick mark conventionally marking numbers).
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;

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