The Greek alphabet remains an important element of our literature

greek_alphabet
Originally uploaded by trudeau

The Greek alphabet has been used since the late 9th or early 8th century BC, says Wikipedia. It is the first and oldest alphabet in the narrow sense that it notes each vowel and consonant with a separate symbol.[2] It is as such in continuous use to this day, says Wikipedia. The letters were also used to represent Greek numerals, beginning in the 2nd century BC.

The Greek alphabet is descended from the Phoenician alphabet. It has given rise to many other alphabets used in Europe and the Middle East, including the Latin alphabet.[2]

Its letters are today used as symbols in mathematics and science, as particle names in physics, as components of star names, in the names of fraternities and sororities, in the naming of supernumerary tropical cyclones, and for other purposes.

24 characters. Let us learn them. This is an in-class group activity.

1. Looks like an upside-down V: __ .
2. A letter O with a horizontal bar in the center: __ .
3. The letter shape for Beta: __ .
4. The name for the empty O: __ .
5. The symbol for Pi: __ .
6. The unexpected symbol for Rho: __ .
7. First and last letters of the Gk alphabet: __ and __ .
8. Unexpected symbol for Eta: __ .
9. Sound that a cat utters: __ .
10. A hangman's frame: __ .
11. I'm za Sigma! __ .
12. Chi, pronounced Kye, has the shape of an __ .
13. The capital Y letter is an __ .
14. A capital I with "wings:" __ .
15. Three horizontal bars: __ .
16. "Oh, you're Nu here!" __ .
17. There's a tiny town in middle-of-nowhere Louisiana named Iota. __ .
18. I Eta Pi: __, __ .
19. Rock 'n roll is based largely on Delta blues. __ .
20. Taurus, the bull, shortened to T: __ .
21. Omicron my Gawd: __ .
22. It's raining. Put on your K: __ .
23. I got an advance look at that software; I'm a __ tester.
24. E! Magazine: __ .
25. National math honorary society, and active at Magnet: __ __ __ .
26. University-level honorary society that expects proof of consistently high ethics and grades to qualify: __ __ __ .
27. The lower-case version of this letter looks like a lower-case a: __ .
28. Third letter: __ .
29. The Epsilon was derived from Phoenician writing. T / F .
30. Symbol for the Earth. Also seen in the Celtic cross. Yet, sometimes a symbol for death: "thanatos." __ .
31. The lower-case fo0r this letter looks like a capital E in script: __ .
32. This Greek letter is rarely used in math, because it so ambiguous: __ .
33. Neptune and water; the S sound: __ .
34. A mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter: __ .
35. In math, art and literature, the Golden Ratio, or 1.61: __ .
36. The gigantic letter O: __ .
37. The tiny letter O: __ .
38. _ is often used to abbreviate the name Christ, as in the holiday Christmas.
39. The 14th of March (3.14. 2012) is widely celebrated as __ Day.
40. Used to refer to the lowest-ranked wolf in a pack or the least-powerful person in a group: __ .
41. X plus __ represents the person of Jesus Christ, or Chi Rho.
42. "Jeez, I wish that organization would name me as a pledge. Sigh!" __
43. The Black Gangster Disciple Nation, or the GD's, uses the trident symbol, or : __ .
44. In ancient times, __ was used as a symbol for life and/or resurrection. It is a form of the cross.
45. Cornell Univ, Ithaca, NY, was the site of the first black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, 1906. Washington, DC's Howard University, 1912, was the site of the founding of the first black Greek sorority: __ __ __ .