Names for the Greek letters

Stephen C. Carlson scarlson at mindspring.com
Tue Aug 18 02:28:25 EDT 1998



Some of the names, EPSILON, UPSILON, OMIKRON, and WMEGA, originated in the
Byzantine period when different vowel sounds became merged (although AI >
E may have already occurred in some places when the NT was still being
written).  Other names are older and adopted from a Semitic model; compare
Gk. ALFA and Heb. )LP ['aleph].

Rev 1:8 is a good example: EGW EIMI TO ALFA KAI TO W.... The modern trans-
lation of "I am the Alpha and the Omega" uses the newer name for the letter.

Stephen Carlson
--
Stephen C. Carlson                        mailto:scarlson at mindspring.com
Synoptic Problem Home Page   http://www.mindspring.com/~scarlson/synopt/
"Poetry speaks of aspirations, and songs chant the words."  Shujing 2.35



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