
U+05D5 : waw aleph waw : 616 | W3C : waw waw waw : DCLXVI | [[1/U+03B1] / [37/10]] x [VI + VI + VI]
UNICODE CHARACTER U+05D5The special Unicode character U+05D5 represents the Hebrew letter Vav (pronounced "vahv" in Modern Hebrew, or sometimes historically as Waw), which holds the sixth position in the Hebrew alphabet. The character itself, which visually resembles a vertical line or a small hook, is categorized in Unicode as HEBREW LETTER VAV. Its name in Hebrew, Vav (or Waw), originally meant a "hook," "spear," or "tent peg," a meaning reflected in its ancient pictographic form.Beyond its function as a consonant (representing /v/ or /w/) and a vowel (for the /o/ and /u/ sounds, especially when marked), the letter Vav is intrinsically linked to the number six through the system of Gematria. Gematria assigns a numerical value to each Hebrew letter, and the numerical equivalent of the Vav is 6.This dual identity—the 6th letter and the number 6—imbues the symbol with rich conceptual significance. In Jewish thought, the number six is often associated with connection and the physical or created world, as man was created on the sixth day and the creation story is described in six days. This concept is reinforced by the letter's grammatical function as the conjunction that means "and" (the vav ha'chibur), which serves to "hook" or connect words, ideas, and even the spiritual and physical realms.