Stigma (numeral six)

A letter that is only a number.

Also known as: Digamma numeral

In Ancient Greek:: στίγμα
In Ancient Greek (Latin):: Stigma

Historical & archaeologicalMathematicalStandard profile

Meanings

The Greek sign for the numeral six, surviving from a letter the alphabet no longer uses.

Historically documentedVerified fact
Writes the numeral six in the Greek alphabetic number system.
Contexts: Mathematics, History
Historically documentedVerified fact
Occupies the place of the digamma, a letter Greek lost from its alphabet but kept in its counting, so the numeral series preserves the older alphabet the writing system abandoned.
Contexts: Mathematics, History

Visual description

A curved glyph resembling a final sigma joined to a tau, standing in the numeral sequence between epsilon and zeta.

Symmetry: none
Orientation: upright

Confidence

IdentityModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

Greek, Armenian and Georgian palaeography and notation
Oxford University Press and comparable scholarly editions · retrieved 2026-08-27
Scholarly treatment of the Greek, Armenian and Georgian scripts and their marks. Cited for identity and history; a contested reading is recorded as contested.

Last reviewed 2026-08-27

Help improve this page

Meanings

The Greek sign for the numeral six, surviving from a letter the alphabet no longer uses.

Historically documentedVerified fact

Writes the numeral six in the Greek alphabetic number system.

Contexts: Mathematics, History

Historically documentedVerified fact

Occupies the place of the digamma, a letter Greek lost from its alphabet but kept in its counting, so the numeral series preserves the older alphabet the writing system abandoned.

Contexts: Mathematics, History

Confidence

IdentityModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

Greek, Armenian and Georgian palaeography and notation
Oxford University Press and comparable scholarly editions · retrieved 2026-08-27
Scholarly treatment of the Greek, Armenian and Georgian scripts and their marks. Cited for identity and history; a contested reading is recorded as contested.

Last reviewed 2026-08-27