Ιι,ἰῶτα,τό,indecl., tenth (later ninth) letter of the Gr. alphabet: as numeralί =
10 , butἱΝΥΜ̓ =
10 , 000 .
0-0. Theι'subscript' of modern texts was saidπροσγράφεσθαι, cf. D.T. 639.14 , A.D. Pron. 87.10 , Ael.Dion. Fr. 192 (alsoτὸ ληιστής(disyll.) . .ἔχει προσκείμενον τὸ ῑHdn.Gr. 2.946 ), and this mode of writing is found in Papyri, Inscrr., and some medieval Mss. (e.g. cod. A of Plato, saec. ix, which hasτῶι
= τῷ , etc.); the present mode is found as early as the tenth century, and came into use in the thirteenth. Thisιwas prob. always pronounced up to ca. 150 B.C., but thereafter dropped in pronunciation, cf. D.T. l.c.; hence called ι ἀνεκφώνητον
Choerob. in Theod. 1.143
and freq. omitted in Pap. and Inscrr. (cf. Epigr. ap. Str. 14.1.41 ,= SIG 766 ), later freq. restored in writing, sts. in the wrong place (v.ῥάθυμος). From ca. 150 B.C. (at Argos from ca. 450 B.C.,v.
SIG 56.13 )ειwas pronouncedιand the sound is written indifferentlyειorι.