koppan.
/ˈkɒpə/, U.S. /ˈkɑpə/ A letter (ϟ) standing between π and ρ in the early Greek alphabet (= Hebrew koph ק, Latin q). It was later displaced by κ, but survived as a numeral = 90.
Π
1870 W. W. Goodwin Elem. Greek Gram. i. 2 Two obsolete letters—Vau or Digamma..equivalent to F or W, and Koppa (ϟ), equivalent to Q..are used as numerals.
1883 I. Taylor Alphabet II. 138 The letters vau and koppa, which were discarded in the Eastern alphabets, except as numerals, were retained in Latin.
1888 J. E. King & C. Cookson Princ. Sound & Inflexion Greek & Lat. iii. 52 The Phoenician ϟ, Koppa, fell into disuse; it survived longest in the alphabet of Chalcis, whence it passed into the Roman alphabet as Q.
1933 C. D. Buck Compar. Gram. Greek & Latin 73 The wau, koppa, and san, which disappeared from the alphabet, were maintained as numeral signs.
1970 Oxf. Classical Dict. (ed. 2) 48/1 K was used originally before a, C before e and i, ϟ (Greek Koppa) before o and u.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1976; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1870