ὗ

See also: υ, ϋ, ὖ, Υ, Ϋ, ͵υ, υ΄, Υ΄, ͵Υ, ϒ, ϓ, and ϔ

ὗ U+1F57, ὗ GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH DASIA AND PERISPOMENI Composition: υ [U+03C5] + ◌̔ [U+0314] + ◌͂ [U+0342] [unassigned: U+1F58] ← ὖ [U+1F56] Greek Extended Ὑ → [U+1F59]

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hŷː/ → /ˈy/ → /ˈi/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hŷː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)y/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈy/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈy/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈi/

Etymology 1

From the aspirated long version of the vowel sound it was used to represent.

Noun

ὗ • (hû) n (indeclinable)

1. (Koine) alternative form of ὖ (û, “upsilon”, name of the letter υ)

   Alternative form: (with smooth breathing) ὖ (û)

   Synonyms: ὗ ψιλόν (hû psilón), ὖ (û), ὖ ψῑλόν (û psīlón)

   • Myrinus, Greek Anthology 11.67.1:

     Ὗ τετρηκόσι᾿ ἐστίν· ἔχεις δὲ σὺ τοὺς ἐνιαυτοὺς
     δὶς τόσσους, τρυφερὴ Λαῒ κορωνεκάβη,
     Σισύφου ὦ μάμμη, καὶ Δευκαλίωνος ἀδελφή.
     βάπτε δὲ τὰς λευκάς, καὶ λέγε πᾶσι τατᾶ.

     Hû tetrēkósi’ estín; ékheis dè sù toùs eniautoùs
     dìs tóssous, trupherḕ Laï̀ korōnekábē,
     Sisúphou ô mámmē, kaì Deukalíōnos adelphḗ.
     bápte dè tàs leukás, kaì lége pâsi tatâ.

     • 1918 translation by W. R. Paton

       The letter υ signifies four hundred, but your years are twice as much, my tender Lais, as old as a crow and Hecuba put together, grandmother of Sisyphus and sister of Deucalion. But dye your white hair and say “tata” to everyone.

   • 6th century AD, Stephanus of Byzantium, Greek Anthology 9.385.20:

     ὗ, μακάρων ἔρις ὦρτο, φέρει δ᾽ ἐπὶ κάρτος Ἀχαιοῖς.

     hû, makárōn éris ôrto, phérei d’ epì kártos Akhaioîs.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• The Ancient Greek name of the letter upsilon is usually written ὖ (û, with smooth breathing), but ὗ (hû, with rough breathing) appears as a less common alternative form of the letter-name. Evidence for the aspirated pronunciation also exists in the form of the traditional name ϩⲉ (he) of the corresponding Coptic letter Ⲩ (U), and a spelling הוה (/⁠h-w-h⁠/) found in a Hebrew-script fragment listing the names of Greek letters.

Derived terms

• ὗ ψιλόν (hû psilón)
• ῡ̔οειδής (hūoeidḗs)
• ῡ̔οειδῶς (hūoeidôs)
• ὑψῑλοειδής (hupsīloeidḗs)

See also

• Appendix:Greek alphabet

Etymology 2

Noun

ὗ • (hû)

1. inflection of ὗς (hûs):
   1. vocative singular
   2. (Attic) nominative/accusative/vocative dual

Further reading

• “Υυ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• M. Triantafyllidis, Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek – In ancient Greek pronunciation, υ was pronounced with rough breathing, though this was later dropped in most forms.