Psi (Ѱ, ѱ; italics: Ѱ ѱ) is a letter in the early Cyrillic alphabet, derived from the Greek letter of the same name (Ψ, ψ). It represents the sound /ps/, as in English naps. According to the school rules developed in the 16th and the 17th centuries, such as Meletius Smotrytsky's grammar book, it was intended for use in words of Greek origin, but it was occasionally used for writing native words as well like Ukrainian ѱы (psy, "dogs").[1] It was used especially in words relating to the Eastern Orthodox Church, as can be seen in its continuing use in Church Slavonic.

Cyrillic letter Psi
Phonetic usage:/ps/
Numeric value:700
Derived from:Greek letter Psi (Ψ ψ)
The Cyrillic script
Slavic letters
АА́А̀А̂А̄ӒБВ
ГҐДЂЃЕЕ́Ѐ
Е̂Е̄ЁЄЖЗЗ́Ѕ
ИІЇИ́ЍИ̂Ӣ
ЙӤЈКЛЉМН
ЊОО́О̀О̂ŌӦП
РСС́ТЋЌУУ́
У̀У̂ӮЎӰФХЦ
ЧЏШЩЪЪ̀Ы
Ы́ЬѢЭЭ́ЮЮ́Ю̀
ЯЯ́Я̀
Non-Slavic letters
ӐА̊А̃Ӓ̄ӔӘӘ́Ә̃
ӚВ̌ԜГ̑Г̇Г̣Г̌Г̂
Г̆Г̈г̊ҔҒӺҒ̌
ғ̊ӶД́Д̌Д̈Д̣Д̆
ӖЕ̃Ё̄Є̈ԐԐ̈ҖӜ
ӁЖ̣ҘӞЗ̌З̣З̆Ӡ
И̃ҊҚӃҠҞҜК̣
к̊қ̊ԚЛ́ӅԮԒ
Л̈ӍН́ӉҢԨӇ
ҤО̆О̃Ӧ̄ӨӨ̄Ө́Ө̆
ӪԤП̈Р̌ҎС̌ҪС̣
С̱Т́Т̈Т̌Т̇Т̣Ҭ
У̃ӲУ̊Ӱ̄ҰҮҮ́Х̣
Х̱Х̮Х̑Х̌ҲӼх̊Ӿ
ӿ̊ҺҺ̈ԦЦ̌Ц̈ҴҶ
Ҷ̣ӴӋҸЧ̇Ч̣Ҽ
ҾШ̣Ы̆Ы̄ӸҌ
ҨЭ̆Э̄Э̇ӬӬ́Ӭ̄Ю̆
Ю̈Ю̄Я̆Я̄Я̈Ӏʼˮ
Archaic or unused letters
А̨Б̀Б̣Б̱В̀Г̀Г̧
Г̄Г̓Ҕ̀Ҕ̆ԀД̓Д̀
Д̨ԂЕ̇Е̨Ж̀
Ж̑Џ̆
Ꚅ̆З̀З̑ԄԆԪ
І̂І̣І̨
Ј̵Ј̃К̓К̀К̆Ӄ̆К̑
К̇К̈К̄ԞК̂Л̀
ԠԈЛ̑Л̇Ԕ
М̀М̃Н̀Н̄Н̧Н̃
ԊԢН̡Ѻ
П̓П̀П́
ҦП̧П̑ҀԚ̆Р́Р̀
Р̃ԖС̀С̈ԌҪ̓
Т̓Т̀ԎТ̑Т̧Ꚍ̆
ѸУ̇У̨
ꙋ́Ф̑Ф̓Х́Х̀Х̆Х̇Х̧
Х̾Х̓һ̱ѠѼѾ
Ц̀Ц́Ц̓Ꚏ̆
Ч́Ч̀Ч̆Ч̑Ч̓
ԬꚆ̆Ҽ̆Ш̀Ш̆
Ш̑Щ̆Ꚗ̆Ъ̄Ъ̈Ъ̈̄
Ы̂Ы̃Ѣ́Ѣ̈Ѣ̆
Э̨Э̂Ю̂Я̈
Я̂Я̨ԘѤѦѪ
ѨѬѮѰѲѴѶ

Psi was eliminated from the Russian orthography, along with ksi, omega, and the yuses, in the Civil Script of 1708 (Peter the Great's Grazhdansky Shrift), and it has also been dropped from other secular languages. It continues to be used in Church Slavonic.

Computing codes

edit
Character information
Preview Ѱ ѱ
Unicode name CYRILLIC CAPITAL LETTER PSI CYRILLIC SMALL LETTER PSI
Encodings decimal hex dec hex
Unicode 1136 U+0470 1137 U+0471
UTF-8 209 176 D1 B0 209 177 D1 B1
Numeric character reference Ѱ Ѱ ѱ ѱ

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Simovyč 1963, p 515a.

References

edit
  • Cyrillic alphabet (Кириллица) at Omniglot
  • Simovyč, V. and J.B. Rudnycky, "The History of Ukrainian Orthography", in Kubijovyč, Volodymyr ed. (1963), Ukraine: A Concise Encyclopædia, v 1. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-3105-6.