# Greek letter symbology? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 1, 2001, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727 "2001-10-01T06:09:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/1 "2001-10-01T06:09:11Z")
Pardon me for posting, but I was wondering…does anyone have a complete list of “symbolic” meanings for the letters in the Greek alphabet? Over the centuries, it seems, various letters seem to have acquired various “meanings”, some mathematical, some apparently artistic. The ones I’ve come across Alpha & Omega = Beginning and Ending. “Omega”, especially, seems to get used a lot in Science-Fiction when some sort of doomsday title is needed for something. Delta = Change. From Math, I know. Psi = Something having to do with the human mind. …Does anyone know of any others? And I’m not completely batty for asking about this, am I? Thanks in advance, Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/2 "2001-10-01T06:22:26Z")
Have a look at this [A Greek Alphabet Oracle](http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/LAO.html) . Beta = Software being tested 🙂 Bonus points to anyone who can name the author of fiction whose villains were symbolized by _Eta Chi Theta_. I always wondered if the choice of those letters had any other basis in mythology, or whether they just sounded good when strung together… Pi = dessert 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/3 "2001-10-01T06:26:08Z")
Well…in math and science, meanings abound for the Greek letters. I think I can honestly say that during my math degree at some point or other we used every single Greek letter (upper and lower case). I guess that’s why they started on the Hebrew (?) alphabet ( aleph0 = cardinality of the integers ). Along with the ones you mentioned ( WAG about psi - the root of words like ‘psychology’ and ‘psyche’ was a Greek word beginning with the letter ‘psi’ ), don’t forget ‘pi’, alpha, beta, gamma (types of radiation), alpha, delta, theta (types of brainwaves), iota (not one ~ = not at all). Also in the world of software: alpha software (full of bugs), beta software (less bugs). ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/4 "2001-10-01T08:06:13Z")
Epsilon is always used to indicate a tiny amount… small delta is used for small differences, but epsilon is one step smaller!! gP ---
**Author:** ![Corrvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@Corrvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corrvin)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/5 "2001-10-01T08:26:28Z")
\<\\> That’s because iota is the smallest letter in Greek…it’s an idiom dealing with the letterform itself. Sort of like “dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s” is about English cursive letterforms. Corr ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/6 "2001-10-01T09:05:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*Pardon me for posting, but I was wondering…does anyone have a complete list of “symbolic” meanings for the letters in the Greek alphabet? \*\* It doesn’t quite fall under that kind of symbolism, but I heard a story about the origin of the letters _omega_ and _omikron_. O **mega** is (in classical greek) pronunced as a long O (think ‘pool’) O **mikron** is (in classical greek) pronounced with a short o (think ‘top’) I don’t speak either modern or classical greek, so I cannot vouch for the veracity of the story, but it does sound plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/7 "2001-10-01T09:27:11Z")
Lambda is used as a symbol of gay/lesbian rights. Not entirely sure of the derivation of it… ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/8 "2001-10-01T10:35:14Z")
**tc** , it’s true, omicron means “small o” and omega means “big o” according to all my dictionaries. It’s been staring me in the face since I learned the Greek alphabet 15 years ago, but I never put two and two together before. That’s why I love this place. [Edited by bibliophage on 10-01-2001 at 05:39 AM] ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/9 "2001-10-01T11:37:54Z")
In the Gregorian index of New Testament texts, the following capital Greek letters are used as shorthand for the ancient texts found in the following libraries (the numerals in parentheses are the newer Gregorian index numbers assigned when they realized thatr they were going to run out of letters among Latin, Greek, and Hebrew before they ran out of manuscripts): GAMMA (036)= Oxford and St. Petersburg DELTA (037)= St. Gallen THETA (038)= Tiflis LAMBDA (039)= Oxford XI (040)= London PI (041)= St. Petersburg SIGMA (042)= Rossano PHI (043)= Berat PSI (044)= Athos OMEGA (045)= Athos ---
**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/10 "2001-10-01T15:17:36Z")
I imagine this thread could go on for a while if all the instances where a greek letter is used in modern society is shown. Here’s 2 more though tht I delt with this more in chemistry: lambda- wavelength nu- frequency (of a wave) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/11 "2001-10-01T16:44:00Z")
Tengu > [@](#): > > Lambda is used as a symbol of gay/lesbian rights. > > Not entirely sure of the derivation of it… A meeting of Gay Activist Alliance groups in 1970 adopted the lambda as a gay liberation symbol. I have variously heard that it is because lambda is a chemical symbol for “action,” that the Sacred band of Thebes marched under a lambda flag, and that it just looks cool. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/12 "2001-10-01T16:50:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AmbushBug \* > \*\* > Bonus points to anyone who can name the author of fiction whose villains were symbolized by _Eta Chi Theta_. I always wondered if the choice of those letters had any other basis in mythology, or whether they just sounded good when strung together… > > \*\* Heh. I very nearly almost registered my username as **Echthros**. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/13 "2001-10-01T17:04:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Corrvin \* > \*\*\<\\> > > That’s because iota is the smallest letter in Greek…it’s an idiom dealing with the letterform itself. Sort of like “dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s” is about English cursive letterforms. > Corr \*\* OK, I’m gonna screw this up badly, but I’m drawing on 15 year old memories, clouded by years of Chemistry, Statisticis and other sources of Greek Letters (along with upside down letters). I recall a story told by my HS English teacher about word changes. (one was about guarantee and warranty) At any rate, it seems that some Greek word was spelled with an iota and when it was “translated” into whatever the popular language was, the iota was dropped. However, it was, of course, the same word. Yep, two different spellings for the same word - there was only an iota of difference. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/14 "2001-10-01T17:18:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AmbushBug \* > **Bonus points to anyone who can name the author of fiction whose villains were symbolized by _Eta Chi Theta_. I always wondered if the choice of those letters had any other basis in mythology, or whether they just sounded good when strung together…** Since **Some Guy** has only hinted at it, I’m gonna come out and guess Madeleine L’Engle. For some reason it sound like it was something out of the “Wrinkle in Time” series - wow, has it been almost 25 years since I read that? ---
**Author:** ![Nyrath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/919ad9/32.png) [@Nyrath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyrath)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/15 "2001-10-01T18:30:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by AmbushBug > **Bonus points to anyone who can name the author of fiction whose villains were symbolized by Eta Chi Theta** ## Madeleine L’Engle’s **A Wind in the Door** featured the _Echthroi_, who were symbolized by those greek letters. The Echthroi were hostile demons who specialized in “un-naming”, that is, making a person feel less like themselves. **SURREAL SAGE SEZ:** \* I once heard the survivors of a colony of ants that had been partially obliterated by a cow’s foot seriously debating the intentions of the gods towards their civilization. \* ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/16 "2001-10-02T00:11:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DarrenS \* > **I think I can honestly say that during my math degree at some point or other we used every single Greek letter (upper and lower case).** Really? Even capital alpha, beta, epsilon, zeta, eta, iota, kappa, mu, nu, rho, tau, and chi? Even capital and lowercase omicron? What for? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/17 "2001-10-02T01:31:02Z")
Let’s see what I can come up with in physics and math: Alpha: Looks like A. alpha: The Fine Structure Constant, a helium nucleus, angular acceleration, confidence level. Beta: Looks like B. beta: An electron from nucleon decay Gamma: The Affine Connection in Riemannian Geometry, the continuous generalization of the factorial. gamma: A high-energy photon, the relativistic dilation factor. Delta: Change. delta: Variation, Kroneker’s symbol, the Dirac distribution. Epsilon: Looks like E. epsilon: An arbitrarily small value, permitivity, electromotive force. Zeta: Looks like Z. zeta: Difficult to draw (see xi). Eta: Looks like H. eta: Minkowski metric Theta: Time-reversal operator. theta: An angle Iota: Looks like I. iota: I don’t know of anything. Kappa: Looks like K. kappa: Imaginary wavenumber Lambda: Lorentz transformation. lambda: Wavelength, eigenvalue, linear density Mu: Looks like M. mu: Permeability, magnetic dipole moment, reduced mass, muon. Nu: Looks like N. nu: Frequency, neutrino Xi: Don’t know. xi: Difficult to draw (see zeta). Omicron: Looks like O. omicron: looks like o Pi: Product. pi: Circumfrence/diameter, parity operator, parallax, pion Rho: Looks like P. rho: Space density (of charge, mass, or number), distance from axis. Sigma: Sum. sigma: conductivity, area charge density, standard deviation. Tau: Looks like T. tau: Torque, proper time, tauon. Upsilon: Looks like Y. upsilon: I don’t know. Phi: Electric potential, general scalar field. phi: An angle, eigenfunction. Chi: Looks like X. chi: Susceptibility, deviation of fit. Psi: Wavefunction. psi: an angle. Omega: Ohm, an angle. omega: angular frequency. Alpha, Beta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Iota, Kappa, Mu, Nu, Omicron, omicron, Rho, Tau, and Upsilon are generally not used, as they resemble Latin letters. I don’t know of any standard uses for zeta, iota, Xi, xi, or upsilon, offhand. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/18 "2001-10-02T02:07:07Z")
I just realized that I’m pretty sure that xi is used for a vector space in differential geometery. And all the lowercase letters are used for the names of stars in astronomy. ---
**Author:** ![g8rguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@g8rguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/g8rguy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-letter-symbology/84727/19 "2001-10-02T03:26:17Z")
Someone who really knows his or her Greek alphabet off the top of his head might correct me, but a lower case upsilon looks sort of similar to a lower case nu in the same way that a u looks sort of similar to a v. Capital xi is three parallel horizontal bars, the middle one shorter than the top and bottom. No American I’ve ever met can pronounce that letter, which is why it’s so unfortunate that there’s a Xi particle (everyone calls it the cascade particle because they can’t pronounce its name). Chronos’ list is of course not exhaustive, and notation will differ from person to person, but I’m thinking he’s given enough to convince everyone that Greek letters are ubiquitous in math and physics.