View source for Latin gamma

{{Short description|Latin letter based on the Greek letter gamma}}
{{for|the Greek letter|Gamma}}
{{for|the IPA symbol|Voiced velar fricative}}
{{Infobox grapheme
|name=Gamma
|letter=Ɣ ɣ
|variations=
|image=File:Latin_letter_Gamma.svg
|imageclass=skin-invert-image
|imagesize=200px
|imagealt=Upper and lower case Latin gamma
|script=[[Latin script]]
|type=[[Alphabet]]
|typedesc=ic and [[Logogram|Logographic]]
|language=
|phonemes=[{{IPAlink|ɣ}}]
|unicode=U+0194, U+0263
|alphanumber=
|number=
|fam1=[[File:Camelus bactrianus-sil.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Pictogram of a Camel]] (speculated origin)
|fam2=<hiero>T14</hiero>
|fam3=[[File:Proto-semiticG-01.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Gimel]]
|fam4=[[File:phoenician gimel.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Gimel]]
|fam5=[[File:Greek Gamma 03.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Early Greek Gamma]]
|fam6=[[File:Early Etruscan C.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Early Etruscan C]]
|fam7=[[Gamma|Γ γ]]
|usageperiod=
|children=
|sisters=
|equivalents=
|associates=
|direction=Left-to-Right
}}

The Latin letter '''gamma''', '''Ɣ''' ([[Lower case|minuscule]]: '''ɣ'''), is a letter used in some orthographies based on the [[Latin alphabet]]. Its shape, in uppercase and lowercase, is based on the lowercase shape of the [[Greek alphabet|Greek]] letter [[gamma]] (γ). Unlike the Greek gamma, the Latin gamma may have [[serif]]s.

Latin gamma is used to represent a [[voiced velar fricative]], in the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]], and in the alphabets of several [[African languages]] such as [[Yom language|Yom]],<ref>{{Cite book|title=Alphabet des langues nationales béninoises|publisher=Ministère de l’Alphabétisation et de la Promotion des langues nationales, Centre national de linguistique appliquée, Benin|year=2008|ol = 25931062M}}</ref> [[Dagbani]], [[Dinka language|Dinka]], [[Kabiyé language|Kabiyé]], and [[Ewe language|Ewe]], some [[Berber languages]] using the [[Berber Latin alphabet]], and sometimes in the romanization of [[Pashto language|Pashto]]. It is also used in the [[Wakhi language#Latin script|Wakhi language]]'s Latin alphabet.

Lowercase Latin gamma is used in the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] to represent the [[voiced velar fricative]]. A lowercase Latin gamma that lies above the [[baseline (typography)|baseline]] rather than crossing it ({{IPA|ɤ}}, called "ram's horns"), represents the [[close-mid back unrounded vowel]]. In certain [[Obsolete and nonstandard symbols in the International Phonetic Alphabet|nonstandard variations of the IPA]] the uppercase form is used. The lowercase Latin gamma can also be used in contexts (such as chemical or molecule nomenclature) where gamma must not be confused with the letter [[y]], which can occur in some computer typefaces.

==Use on computers==

{{charmap
|0194|name1=LATIN CAPITAL LETTER GAMMA
|0263|name2=LATIN SMALL LETTER GAMMA
}}

==External links==
*[http://www.bisharat.net/Documents/poal30.htm Practical Orthography of African Languages]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Latin alphabet}}

[[Category:Latin-script letters|Gz]]
[[Category:Phonetic transcription symbols|Gz]]

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