[B-Greek] hH hELLHNIKH GLWSSA

R Yochanan Bitan Buth ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Mon Jun 14 16:35:37 EDT 2004


>CAIRE,
> 
>My name is Benjamin Bruce, and I'm 14.  I'm learning Koiné Greek.  I have
>a few questions on pronunciation:
> 
>       1.  On BiblicalGreek.org, I saw a chart for reconstructed Koiné
>pronunciation.  It said that it was just like modern Greek, except that
>BHTA is a bilabial fricative [<beta>], and that UYILON is a high front
>rounded vowel [y].  How did they figure this out, and is this considered
>accurate by most people?
>       2.  Were rough breathing marks pronounced during the Koiné period?
>       3.  Do we know what the Greek tones were?
>       4.  Were the tones pronounced during the Koiné period?
> 
>Thanks a lot!  I'm really enjoying learning Greek, it's a really neat
>language.
> 
>EXOMOLOGOUMAI SOI,
> 
>BENIAMIN BROUS
>TEXAS, H.P.A.
 
CAIRE, benyamin,
 
EIDON OTI PEIRAi CRHSASQAI TH GLWSSHi.
KALWS POIEIS KAI OUTWS POIWN PROKOPSEIS TACEWS.
 
Your questions and approach are good. 
If you would like to know how we can know about the pronunciation system of
the language 2000 years ago, 
see the following PDF file:
http://www.biblicalulpan.org/Sound_files/PRONSYS1_US.pdf
or for A4 (European) size paper
http://www.biblicalulpan.org/Sound_files/PRONSYS1_A4.pdf
 
The above ten page article outlines the kind of evidence, how to evaluate
it, where some questions remain, and considerations for the various kinds of
pronunciations used by people. I would be happy to answer questions after
you’ve read this. 
 
Enjoy your reading, and continue to use the language if you want to learn
it. 
 

Blessings

 

Randall Buth

 

Randall Buth, PhD

Director, Biblical Language Center

www.biblicalulpan.org

and Director, Biblical Studies in Israel

Hebrew University, Rothberg International School

ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il

 




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