Stigma and Final Sigma

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Fri Nov 1 16:21:33 EST 2002


At 3:03 PM -0800 11/1/02, revelation wrote:
>Please excuse my ignorance, but is there any substantial difference
>between a lower case vau/digamma and a final sigma?  Are they
>different names for the same thing?

No, indeed. The lower-case digamma looks something like an italic upper-case F

	---
       /--
      /

; the lower-case final sigma is like a lower-case Roman s with the top
larger and straighter than the bottom.

	-----
       /
       \--
	  \
        --/

>And is a stigma another name for
>a vau/digamma?  Is a stigma another name for a final sigma?

No, it is not; what is perhaps confusing is that the stigma, which looks
much like a final sigma but the end of the upper line extends slightly
farther to the rightand was meant to represent the combination of sigma and
tau, came to serve as the number for "6" where the digamma had functioned
earlier.

>My understanding was that final sigma was the name given to the sigma
>occurring at the end of the word in cursive script, as all first year
>Greek students learn, and that the similar looking lower case digamma
>was not the same thing but was written slightly differently and used
>only for the number 6.  But I am beginning to realize that my
>thinking is not clear on this and I'd appreciate some help.

Yes, this is slightly confused, but if you'll go back over the thread of
messages, you should get the facts straight. Alternatively you may check
out Smyth's grammar §347 (not at Perseus, where the stigma doesn't show up
correctly).
-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad at ioa.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/



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