Omega
/ˈoʊ.mɪ.ɡə/noun
The 24th and final letter of the Greek alphabet, also used to mean the last or ultimate thing.
Did you know?In the Book of Revelation, “Alpha and Omega” uses the first and last Greek letter names to express totality—from beginning to end.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*megH₂-
“Great or large; the reconstructed root behind Greek megas and Latin magnus.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέγας (mégas)
“Great, large, or powerful.”
Classical Greek
Greek
ὦ μέγα (ō méga)
““Large O” or “great O,” a name distinguishing the letter from omicron, the “small O.””
Koine Greek
Greek
ὦ μέγα (ō méga)
“The established name of the long-vowel O letter, contrasted with ὄμικρον (ómikron), “small O.””
Late Antiquity
Latin
omega
“The Greek letter’s name, borrowed into Latin scholarly usage.”
Modern English
English
omega
“The final Greek letter; figuratively, the last, ultimate, or concluding element.”