Σ ς
κακοὶ μάρτυρες ἀνθρώποισιν ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ ὦτα βαρβάρους ψυχὰς ἐχόντων → eyes and ears are poor witnesses for men if their souls do not understand the language (Heraclitus Phil.: Fr. B 107; Testimonia: Fragment 16, line 6)
English (LSJ)
σίγμα or σῖγμα (both accents are found in codd.), τό, twentyfirst letter of the Etruscan abecedaria, IG14.2420, and prob. of the oldest Gr. alphabets (corresponding to the twenty-first Hebrew letter
A shin <*>, Phoenician Ω, Syria 6.103), but eighteenth of the Ion. alphabet: as numeral σ = 200, but σ' = 200,000: a semi-vowel, Arist.Po.1456b28, cf. Pl.Tht.203b. A the oldest forms expressing this sound were Μ (which is however the old eighteenth letter, q.v.), also Σ and ς; compared to a twisted curl, E.Fr.382.7, Theodect.6; to a Scythian bow, Agatho 4; after this, but yet early, it took the shape of a semicircle <*>, whence Aeschrio (Fr.1) calls the new moon τὸ καλὸν οὐρανοῦ νέον σῖγμα: hence the orchestra is called τὸ τοῦ θεάτρου σῖγμα, Phot., AB 286: and Lat. writers used sigma of a semicircular couch, Mart.10.48.6, etc.; cf. σιγμοειδής. The rare form <*> is used in the numbering of building-stones in Berl.Sitzb.1888.1234, 1242 (Pergam.). From final ς must be disting uished the character ς = 6, v. ϝ ϝ (sixth letter). B the name σίγμα ( σῖγμα) was usu. indeclinable, τοῦ σῖγμα Pl. l.c., Cra.402e, 427a, Ath.10.455c, Lyd.Mens.1.21 (v.l. σίγματος) ; τῷ σῖγμα Gal.UP2.14, al.; τῶν σῖγμα Pl.Com.30; τὰ σίγμα τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσπίδων X.HG4.4.10, cf. Hellad. ap. Phot.Bibl.p.532 B.; later declined, τοῦ σίγματος Eust.1389.15; σίγμασιν Id.905.7. 2 we also hear of another name σάν [ᾰ], τό, ta\ ou)no/mata/ sfi (sc. τοῖσι Πέρσῃσι) τελευτῶσι πάντα ἐς τὠυτὸ γράμμα, τὸ Δωριέες μὲν σὰν καλέουσι, Ἴωνες δὲ σίγμα Hdt.1.139, cf. Pi.Dith.Oxy.1604 Fr. 1 ii 3, Ath.11.467a; as name of the fourth and tenth letters in Θρασύμαχος, and of the sixth in Διονύσο (υ), Epigr. ap. Ath.10.454f, Achae.33.4; cf. the compd. σαμ-φόρας: σάν and σίγμα were evidently pronounced alike; it is conjectured that σάν is originally the name of the old eighteenth letter.
German (Pape)
[Seite 856] σίγμα od. richtiger σῖγμα, τό, indecl., Plat. Theaet. 203 a Crat. 427 a (s. auch unten); dor. σάν, Her. 1, 139; Ath. XI, 467 a; – achtzehnter Buchstabe des griechischen Alphabets. Als Zahlzeichen σ' = 200, aber ,σ = 200000. – Σαμπῖ oder σάμπι, , als Zahlzeichen, 900.
