The letter “Gamma” (Γ, γ), the third of the ancient Greek alphabet, conceals a number of suggestions interweaving glottology, symbolism and graphics. A lot of words starting with “Gamma” refers to the concept of motherhood and birth: “Γῆ” , the Earth, but also Gaia, the primordial goddess which gave birth to Olympus gods by parthenogenesis; in this last word, “genesis” is “γένεσις”, the beginning, the creation; besides, “γίγνομαι” means “I’m born”, “γενεά”, is the birth, but also the lineage. All these words can find a sort if linguistic hub in “γυνή”, the woman. As a matter of fact, the graphema of the minuscule “Gamma”, “γ”, reminds the mystical /mythological chalice, i.e. the female womb, and its triangular shape, with the vertex downwards, sketches the Water, “”, and the Earth, “”, the cold and female among the four alchemic elements. On the other hand, “γηράσκω” means “I grow hold”. The word “γλῶσσα” is “tongue”, but also “language”, “γιγνώσκω” means “I learn, I understand, I know”, and “γεωμετρέω” “I measure theland”. Actually, the graphic of the capital “Gamma”, “Γ”, calls up the shape of a knee, which in turn finds its etymon in “γόνυ”, but also the shape of a set square, “γωνία”, one of the most ancient tools for measuring and drawing. This paper runs across a first approach investigating the associations among linguistic and graphics meanings of “Gamma” as the “root” of the two fundamentals of mankind: life and knowledge.
Life and Knowledge by glottology and graphics: disclosures of the ancient gamma greek letter.
BUONDONNO, Andrea
;CIRAFICI, Alessandra
;
2014
Abstract
The letter “Gamma” (Γ, γ), the third of the ancient Greek alphabet, conceals a number of suggestions interweaving glottology, symbolism and graphics. A lot of words starting with “Gamma” refers to the concept of motherhood and birth: “Γῆ” , the Earth, but also Gaia, the primordial goddess which gave birth to Olympus gods by parthenogenesis; in this last word, “genesis” is “γένεσις”, the beginning, the creation; besides, “γίγνομαι” means “I’m born”, “γενεά”, is the birth, but also the lineage. All these words can find a sort if linguistic hub in “γυνή”, the woman. As a matter of fact, the graphema of the minuscule “Gamma”, “γ”, reminds the mystical /mythological chalice, i.e. the female womb, and its triangular shape, with the vertex downwards, sketches the Water, “”, and the Earth, “”, the cold and female among the four alchemic elements. On the other hand, “γηράσκω” means “I grow hold”. The word “γλῶσσα” is “tongue”, but also “language”, “γιγνώσκω” means “I learn, I understand, I know”, and “γεωμετρέω” “I measure theland”. Actually, the graphic of the capital “Gamma”, “Γ”, calls up the shape of a knee, which in turn finds its etymon in “γόνυ”, but also the shape of a set square, “γωνία”, one of the most ancient tools for measuring and drawing. This paper runs across a first approach investigating the associations among linguistic and graphics meanings of “Gamma” as the “root” of the two fundamentals of mankind: life and knowledge.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.