Basic Pronunciation Question

Randall Buth ButhFam at compuserve.com
Tue Jul 23 06:42:18 EDT 2002


shalom Erik
>All the sources I've looked
>at (in books, and on the web) pronounce the word BIBLION like this:
>BIBLION --> "bib LEE on"
>
>Now these same sources invariably say the sound of iota should be either
>short or long:
>short iota --> "i" like the i in pit.
>long iota --> "ee" like the i in machine.

I've already seen a resonse to your question that pointed out that 
IWTA short and long was a difference in time (longer time) rather
than quality of sound. 
That was sound, good advice. I only amen that.

I would like to point out another perspective that becomes obvious 
in your email that many in the US overlook. 
If "All the sources" agree with your statement, then it would mean that
you've probably limited yourself to the English-speaking world. An 
espaniish espiiker would probably not pronounce your IWTA's as 
described by you. More importantly, I wouldn't expect modern Greek 
speakers to make such a distinction, even modern Greek speakers 
trying to imitate ancient Greek. 
This also reminds me that I probably need to add some of my pages 
to the www.biblicalulpan.org 
website. First, so that they hear some of the distinctions that are in 
the recordings. And secondly, so that they know "why" they are 
that way. I'll let you know when it's "up".

ERRWSO
Randall Buth





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