Iota subscript
Encyclopedia
Iota subscript in Greek
polytonic orthography is a way of writing the letter iota
as a small vertical stroke beneath a vowel. It was used in the so-called "long diphthongs" in Ancient Greek
, that is, diphthong
s the first part of which is a long vowel: and . In Latin-based transliteration, it is not usually written.
Before the reforms of Eucleides and the adoption of the letters Ω and Η (403-402 BC), there was no way of distinguishing between long and short vowels in Attic Greek
. The classical Greek diphthongs ΑΙ, ΕΙ and ΟΙ were composed of a vowel and the letter iota whether or not the vowel was long.
From the mid-fifth to the mid-fourth centuries, most of the Greek diphthongs began to lose their final elements. The pronunciation of ηι began to merge with that of ει in Attic Greek and with that of ι in Koine. The long αι came to be pronounced in the same way as the long α and ωι in the same way as ω. The loss of the diphthongs from the Greek language and the merging of the long diphthong phoneme
s with other Greek vowel phonemes led to the omission of the final ι from digraphs that had formerly represented long diphthongs. The iota subscript was created when the iota was reintroduced in the Byzantine period, to correct the loss of ι from copies of earlier manuscripts, but was placed below rather than beside the vowel to reflect the fact that it was not, by then, pronounced.
The rare long diphthong ῡι might logically have been treated the same way, and the works of Eustathius of Thessalonica
provide an instance of υ with iota subscript (in the word ), but this never became the convention (the same word being spelled by other writers as or ).
In recent years it has become common for Greek to be quoted and translated with an iota placed beside rather than beneath its vowel: this is known as the iota adscript
(Greek
). The adscript is sometimes printed with a slightly smaller font size than the preceding vowel.
at Alexandria
to denote the absence of iota (ι) which were used in the long diphthongs ᾱ
ι
, η
ι, and ωι. In Koine Greek, the iotas used in long diphthongs stopped being pronounced. However, many times, these iotas were essential to differentiate between different usages of the same word — the only notable difference between the nominative and dative singular of a first declension feminine noun is, for many words, that iota. Because of spacing, it would have been impossible to fit the iota on the line beside the letter that preceded it. Therefore, the iota was written under the letter to save space. Although the library of Alexandria and its texts were burned, the practice was carried over in clinical copies of certain texts, and the hypogegrammeni was used often by the Greek Orthodox Church
(which used polytonic orthography for ceremonial purposes) and mediaeval Byzantine
copyists. In modern renderings of ancient Greek, the iota is still carried subscriptum, even though it is now common practice to pronounce the iota indicated by the hypogegrammeni.
, the iota subscript is usually omitted:
, the combining iota subscript is encoded at . As a spacing character it is .
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
polytonic orthography is a way of writing the letter iota
Iota
Iota is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 10. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Yodh . Letters that arose from this letter include the Roman I and J and the Cyrillic І , Yi , Je , and iotified letters .Iota represents...
as a small vertical stroke beneath a vowel. It was used in the so-called "long diphthongs" in Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek phonology
Ancient Greek phonology is the study of the phonology, or pronunciation, of Ancient Greek. Because of the passage of time, the original pronunciation of Ancient Greek, like that of all ancient languages, can never be known with absolute certainty...
, that is, diphthong
Diphthong
A diphthong , also known as a gliding vowel, refers to two adjacent vowel sounds occurring within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: That is, the tongue moves during the pronunciation of the vowel...
s the first part of which is a long vowel: and . In Latin-based transliteration, it is not usually written.
Before the reforms of Eucleides and the adoption of the letters Ω and Η (403-402 BC), there was no way of distinguishing between long and short vowels in Attic Greek
Attic Greek
Attic Greek is the prestige dialect of Ancient Greek that was spoken in Attica, which includes Athens. Of the ancient dialects, it is the most similar to later Greek, and is the standard form of the language studied in courses of "Ancient Greek". It is sometimes included in Ionic.- Origin and range...
. The classical Greek diphthongs ΑΙ, ΕΙ and ΟΙ were composed of a vowel and the letter iota whether or not the vowel was long.
From the mid-fifth to the mid-fourth centuries, most of the Greek diphthongs began to lose their final elements. The pronunciation of ηι began to merge with that of ει in Attic Greek and with that of ι in Koine. The long αι came to be pronounced in the same way as the long α and ωι in the same way as ω. The loss of the diphthongs from the Greek language and the merging of the long diphthong phoneme
Phoneme
In a language or dialect, a phoneme is the smallest segmental unit of sound employed to form meaningful contrasts between utterances....
s with other Greek vowel phonemes led to the omission of the final ι from digraphs that had formerly represented long diphthongs. The iota subscript was created when the iota was reintroduced in the Byzantine period, to correct the loss of ι from copies of earlier manuscripts, but was placed below rather than beside the vowel to reflect the fact that it was not, by then, pronounced.
The rare long diphthong ῡι might logically have been treated the same way, and the works of Eustathius of Thessalonica
Eustathius of Thessalonica
Archbishop Eustathius of Thessalonica was a Greek bishop and scholar. He is most noted for his contemporary account of the sack of Thessalonike by the Normans in 1185, for his orations and for his commentaries on Homer, which incorporate many remarks by much earlier researchers.- Life :After being...
provide an instance of υ with iota subscript (in the word ), but this never became the convention (the same word being spelled by other writers as or ).
In recent years it has become common for Greek to be quoted and translated with an iota placed beside rather than beneath its vowel: this is known as the iota adscript
Iota adscript
In Greek polytonic orthography, the iota adscript is a iota written after a long vowel in a long diphthong, as opposed to below the vowel as a small vertical stroke ....
(Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
). The adscript is sometimes printed with a slightly smaller font size than the preceding vowel.
History
The iota subscript (ͺ) (also known as hypogegrammeni) was an editorial marking invented by the librariansLibrary of Alexandria
The Royal Library of Alexandria, or Ancient Library of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt, was the largest and most significant great library of the ancient world. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship from its construction in the...
at Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
to denote the absence of iota (ι) which were used in the long diphthongs ᾱ
Alpha
Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Alpha or ALPHA may also refer to:-Science:*Alpha , the highest ranking individuals in a community of social animals...
ι
Iota
Iota is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 10. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Yodh . Letters that arose from this letter include the Roman I and J and the Cyrillic І , Yi , Je , and iotified letters .Iota represents...
, η
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
ι, and ωι. In Koine Greek, the iotas used in long diphthongs stopped being pronounced. However, many times, these iotas were essential to differentiate between different usages of the same word — the only notable difference between the nominative and dative singular of a first declension feminine noun is, for many words, that iota. Because of spacing, it would have been impossible to fit the iota on the line beside the letter that preceded it. Therefore, the iota was written under the letter to save space. Although the library of Alexandria and its texts were burned, the practice was carried over in clinical copies of certain texts, and the hypogegrammeni was used often by the Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
(which used polytonic orthography for ceremonial purposes) and mediaeval Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
copyists. In modern renderings of ancient Greek, the iota is still carried subscriptum, even though it is now common practice to pronounce the iota indicated by the hypogegrammeni.
Transliteration
In transliteration of Greek into the Latin alphabetLatin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
, the iota subscript is usually omitted:
- ζῷο-ν "animal" + -λογίᾱ → New LatinNew LatinThe term New Latin, or Neo-Latin, is used to describe the Latin language used in original works created between c. 1500 and c. 1900. Among other uses, Latin during this period was employed in scholarly and scientific publications...
zōo-logia (not zōio-logia) → English zoology.
Unicode
In UnicodeUnicode
Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
, the combining iota subscript is encoded at . As a spacing character it is .