DeKALB | NIU is home to about 36 different fraternities and sororities. The large Greek letters adorning the houses on Greek Row make it different from a lot of other places around campus.

The letters let people know exactly where they are, but what do all these Greek letters mean?

Fraternities and sororities began as secret societies that allowed students to freely discuss subjects that were frowned upon in the college classrooms.

Greek letters in fraternities and sororities were first used in 1776 as a response to other secret societies’ preferred activities of drinking at the local taverns, according to Classics Studies Professor Lucinda Alwa.

John Heath, a student from William and Mary college, and four other students decided their school needed a secret society that focused on knowledge and where they could discuss the events going on at that time. Its motto was “Philosophia Biou Kubernetes,” which means “philosophy guide for life.”

The initials of the Greek words, “Phi Beta Kappa,” were engraved on their secret society’s medals. To maintain secrecy, the group referred to itself as this and Phi Beta Kappa eventually became its common name.

“As other similar societies developed, the tradition of using Greek letters continued, partly because these letters represented a secret motto known only by members, and also because the students could thus identify with ancient Greek civilization,” Alwa said.

The Greek letters play a different role in the individual fraternity and sorority chapters, Shari Lochowitz, president of the College Panhellenic Council, said. The letters are taught to members of each organization and each chapter’s letters hold a different meaning. However, the Greek language does not play a huge role in fraternity and sorority affairs. While the tradition of the Greek letters has held strong, new traditions are the primary focus of fraternities and sororities.

While the ancient Greek language is no longer used, modern Greek is still very prevalent among Greek-Americans, Alwa said. The development of the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet made it possible for many people to learn how to read and write in a time when professional scribes were the few able to do so.

“As long as a language is part of human consciousness, it is not dead. Ancient Greek literature is part of our common heritage, and whether we know it or not, it shapes our own thinking and writing,” Alwa said.