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Omega: Greek letter and Symbol of Meaning
From Starwars to wrestling. Why the word ‘Omega’ is more interesting than you know.
Omega is commonly known as the most culturally significant letter in the Greek alphabet. The 24th and last letter.
The omega can be represented with two distinctive symbols. The uppercase and lowercase.
Lowercase — ω
Uppercase — Ω
However, the word has many other uses and can be linked to some surprising aspects of culture.
In sociology
In sociology, the word Omega can be used to refer to the lowest ranking member of a group. The word is often used to refer to the lowest-ranking members of a wolf pack.
Books, Film, and TV
- Teen Wolf TV series — Omega wolves are the lone wolves.
- The Heroes of Olympus is a series of fantasy books written by Rick Riordan. The Omega symbol is featured on the spine of the book because the story is based on greek mythology.
- Omega appears as a character in the Dr. Who series and books. He is a revered figure in Time Lord history in some instances and a nemesis to the doctor in other instances.
- In Star Wars, Omega is a young female clone.
- In X-men, the character Omega Red uses the Omega symbol Ω on his headband, much as Superman uses his symbol on his suit. As a method of identification.
Video Games
Used in the world of video games, again as a way to identify certain characters, and as a name, including the Pokémon character Omega Ruby.
Symbolically
More generally Omega is used to mean the end, whether good, bad or neutral, it can mean the bottom, fulfillment, or death. It is meant to be a stark contrast to the word ‘alpha’, the first letter of the Greek alphabet and which means the highest or the beginning.
Although Omega might often have negative connotations, it can be used in a hugely positive way. Being at the end of a cycle means that a new beginning is coming. This view can be likened to how forest fires can be…
