The letter Sigma

Greek Learning Greek
1

Hola, I did a search on this topic, and couldn’t find anything in the forum, so I wanted to ask. What is the deal with the letter sigma, and it’s alternate appearance (in the shape of a crescent moon)? I was familiar with the way sigma was written, but found a textbook that teaches it only in the other form, which is mightily difficult to digest when reading the book. Anyways, any help on this would be greatly appreciated thanks!!

John

2

The one that looks kind of like a C? It’s the lunate sigma, which caught on towards medieval times and serves as an all-purpose sigma.

3

hi, lunate sigma wasn’t a medieval/byzantine invention. have a flick through the pics in this book, and try to work out the date when the medial/final sigma distinction came in:

http://www.archive.org/details/greeklatin00thomuoft

4

If you do a search here on “lunate sigma” you’ll find several discussions here (this one is recent).

5

Never the less it did “catch on” during medieval times

6

The lunate sigma?! That was standard for a long, long time. Here’s a (large-ish) image of Homer, POxy.LII 3663. That ‘C’ is everywhere. Or do you mean the current pair?

7

annis I didn’t mean that it wasn’t standard (either on papyrus or inscriptions). I meant that in medieval times it was used almost exclusively. I guess sigma is one of these letters that have gone back and forth anyway but I haven’t studied the matter.

8

Edit: j’ai mal compris

9

Ooh, sorry. I misinterpreted “catch on.”

10

It must take an incredible tenacity to put together a complete document using bits and pieces like that.

11

Irene, is the lunate sigma used fairly regularly in Modern Greek?
I have seen a picture of an inscription of the Lord’s Prayer in Modern Greek. The Sigmas in it are lunate sigmas.

12

Bert, no, it isn’t.

However you will probably encounter it in things that have to do with religion and that covers everything from prayers (after all we stiil use the original Bible [in Koine I mean -Byzantine “edition”-] ) up to signs of shops that sell religious items.

In texts written by churchmen of the Greek Orthodox Church, you may see the lunate sigma even if the text is all in modern Greek.