Upsilon

Upsilon (uppercase Υ, lowercase υ; Greek: ύψιλον, ýpsilon, [ˈipsilon]; /ˈʌpsᵻlɒn, ˈjuːp-, ˈuːp-, ˈʊp-, -lən/; or UK /ʌpˈsaɪlən, juːp-/) is the 20th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, Υʹ has a value of 400. It is derived from the Phoenician waw .

Etymology

The name of the letter was originally just “υ” (y; also called hy, hence "hyoid", meaning "shaped like the letter υ"), but the name changed to “υ ψιλόν”, (u psilon, meaning 'simple u') to distinguish it from οι, which had come to have the same [y] pronunciation.

Pronunciation

In early Greek it was pronounced like English oo [u]. In Classical Greek, it was pronounced like French u or German ü, i. e., [y] (a sound that is not found in most dialects of English). This was the case at least until the year 1030AD. In Modern Greek it is pronounced like continental i or English ee, [i], and in diphthongs, [f] or [v]. In ancient Greek, it occurred in both long and short versions, but this distinction has been lost in Modern Greek.

Upsilon (disambiguation)

Upsilon or Ypsilon is a Greek letter.

May refer to:

See also

Ypsilon (bridge)

Ypsilon is a cable-stayed bridge over Drammenselva in Drammen, Norway.

The pedestrian bridge connects Kunnskapsparken, the science park of Grønland in Drammen with the city park on Bragernes. The bridge was designed by the firm of Arne Eggen Architects. The three-way bridge has been given the name "Ypsilon" due to its special form – from the air it looks like a Y, with one abutment on the Strømsø side and two at the Bragernes side. The project was co-funded by the municipality of Drammen and Kunnskapsparken AS. Kunnskapsparken accommodates the libraries of the Buskerud University College, the public library of Drammen, and the Buskerud Regional Library.

References

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