Re: Ancient number-encoding formats...

[Nick Pelling <incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone,

More obscure Greek number-encoding formats mentioned here:-

   http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/archives/97-08/0079.html

What I find most interesting is that (in the main system, at least), they 
used three extra characters: stigma (or digamma), koppa, and sampi.

I find stigma interesting - it looks like a kind of ligatured sigma and tau 
- because of its resemblance both to the "Tironian et" and to the "looped 
picnic table".

This came up via the history of tachygraphy, which I was pursuing because 
of the VMS' alphabet's quill-friendly nature. Of course, the Holy Roman 
Empire decreed that shorthand was "necromantic and diabolical" - but they 
would, wouldn't they? :-)

Cheers, .....Nick Pelling......

PS: The Porphyrogenitus Project (at the Hellenic Institute here in Surrey) 
has, over the last 9 years, been compiling a database of Greek shorthand 
abbreviations (currently 4500 of them) - basically, a Greek Capelli. I'm 
hoping to get a look at this to see if any of the cipher alphabets I've 
seen (including the VMS) appropriated Greek shorthand symbols... will post 
here if/when I do.