Paragraphos

Paragraphos (from Gr. παράγραφος, paragraphos from para “beside” and graphein “to write”) literally meant in ancient Greek papyri anything that was written beside the main text, e.g. marginal note or sign to mark the close or beginning of a sentence. There are many variants of this symbol. The Greek paragraphos is usually placed at the beginning of the line but it may refer to a break in the text at any point in the line. In a drama it can indicate the change of persons. The symbol itself is supposed to have developed from Greek gamma (Γ or γ) as from graphos.