Sampi

The Sampi (Greek neuter Σαμπί, majuscule: Ͳ / Ϡ, minuscule: ͳ / ϡ ) is a letter, which occurred in some pre-classical variants of the Greek alphabet. It probably referred to a dialectal variant pronunciation of [ ss] or a similar sound, such as [ ts ]. In the system of Greek figures, Sampi has been preserved after the Milesian principle as a numeral for 900. It had in its ancient use as letter sign the form. In its use as a numeral its form has developed in Byzantine times over, and the modern characters ϡ ().

Origin

The origin of the Sampi is unclear. It could have originated either directly or as a further development of the archaic Greek letter San ( Ϻ ) from the Phoenician Sade (). The Sade described in Phoenician the emphatic s- sound. The San had emerged from the Sade and was used in some variants of the Greek alphabet instead of the Sigma for the / s / sound.

However, the Sampi is not classified in alphabetical order at the point of Sade and San between Pi and Qoppa, but stands at the very end behind Omega. This would tend to indicate that the Sampi was a later creation.

The name Sampi is also not sufficiently clarified. It could be related with the name of San. One possibility would be that he (, " as Pi " hosan pi) goes back to ὡσὰν πῖ and points to the physical resemblance between Sampi and Pi.

Use as a letter

In some alphabets Ionia ( Teos, Ephesus, Cyzicus and Halicarnassus ) and Pamphylia ( Perge, Sillyon ) a special letter comes with the form or before. It is likely to be the precursor of Sampi. This sign is BC BC is in Pamphylian inscriptions in the 6th to 5th centuries in Ionic and in the 4th to the 2nd century and is used at points where σσ in most dialects (ss) and in the classical Attic ττ (tt) is, for example ΘΑΛΑΑ instead ΘΑΛΑΣΣΑ ( Thalassa ) or ΘΑΛΑΤΤΑ ( THALATTA ). As this letter group was pronounced in ancient times, is controversial. As they said, historically goes back to * kj, seems pronunciation variant / ts / possible. That the Sampi was later replaced by σσ could then point out that the debate had changed from / ts to / ss / changed /.

Use as numerals

In the system of Greek figures three archaic letters have been retained as numerals: the stigma ( Ϛ ) or the digamma ( Ϝ ) for 6, Qoppa ( ϟ ) for 90 and Sampi ( Ϡ ) as the last numeral for 900 The Greek numerals emerged as the common standard to today variant of the Greek alphabet in the Ionian city of Miletus. This is ( occupied mainly in Halicarnassus and Ephesus, recently also in finds from Miletus itself) to the same region, was used in the previously well as Sampi alphabetical letter. Therefore, it seems likely that the letter was taken to complete the number of characters. Originally, the number of characters had the form. In this form it has been adopted as the numeral for 900 in the Gothic alphabet. In the medieval manuscripts the Sampi received its present form Ϡ.