ATTIC VS. KOINE vs spoken ancient

Steven Craig Miller scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Tue Dec 14 11:23:41 EST 1999


To: Yochanan Bitan,

<< Learning a language to a fluent level where one can use it and think 
with it is a distinct advantage and I would say a prerequisite for anyone 
who wants to invest a life of study in a particular literature. ... Once 
the above is digested, or perhaps for those who have experienced at least 
one sample, we can go on to the question about how to develop a high level 
of Koine Greek. For me, high level, means able to converse in, pray in, and 
function in the language. NOTE WELL: in any reference to speaking, I am 
talking about KOINE, ancient Greek, not modern Greek. Just for fun, let's 
not accept something like: 'it can't be done, there is no ancient Greece to 
visit'. After all, there are specialized schools outside of France, Russia 
or China where one can attend and come out speaking the language. Let me 
know if someone knows a philanthropist who would like to start such a place. >>

I concur with you. And if someone did start such a place, I would very much 
like to be one of its first students! But for starters, it would be nice to 
have the ancient Greek equivalent of "Conversational Latin For Oral 
Proficiency" by John C. Traupman (2nd edition, 1997). There is no reason 
why someone couldn't publish a book like that for ancient Greek.

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Disclaimer: "I'm just a simple house-husband (with no post-grad degree), 
what do I know?"




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