iota subscript

English

Noun

iota subscript (plural iotas subscript or iota subscripts)

1. (Greek orthography) A small iota written below an alpha, eta or omega – e.g. in ᾠδή (ōidḗ) – representing a vocalic offglide that was pronounced in early Ancient Greek, but later became silent; invented in the Middle Ages in order to mark those vowels which would originally have had such an offglide.

Related terms

• iota adscript

Translations

small iota written below a vowel letter

• French: iota souscrit (fr) m
• German: Iota subscriptum n
• Greek: υπογεγραμμένη (el) f (ypogegramméni)

  Ancient Greek: ἰῶτα ὑπογεγραμμένη f (iôta hupogegramménē)

• Latin: iōta subscrīptum n