[B-Greek] Re: How do modern Greeks pronounce Biblical Greek?
Curtis Hinson
curtis at curtishinson.com
Wed Apr 13 19:50:06 EDT 2005
Γεια σας
It's good to see a couple of folks sticking up for their living language.
I've wondered what modern Japanese would think of me were I to claim to be a
scholar of Edo-period Japanese, for instance, but showed little respect for
or understanding of modern Japanese pronunciation and culture, and instead
used one made up by a foreigner. I would expect to be dismissed out of
hand.
It is hard on me to hear Erasmian used in various materials, it's quite
awful. In any language, if there is a living pronunciation, I think it
needs to be used, if we want to USE Greek instead of just talking ABOUT
Greek (ie, a Greek 'monitor'). Erasmian is something that had some inertia
behind it and has been in use for a while by ζενοι, but it's been nothing
but an impediment to the study of Greek and those who love the Greek
language. It brings a third-person distance to the language that is one more
layer of disconnect, in my opinion.
Bless the Name
Curtis Hinson
Abilene Christian University
-----Original Message-----
From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of demis
Sent: Saturday, April 09, 2005 8:41 AM
To: jpb at buchan.org.uk; b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Re: How do modern Greeks pronounce Biblical Greek?
Hi
I would like to tell you about the "erasmian" pronunciation. Since I am
Greek and I have stadied Encient Greek in High School for 4 years this
"erasmian" pronunciation is an American invetion for people to make belive
that they speak Ancient Greek. Of course Modern with Ancient Greek in
pronunciation it is Not the same and the paralilism can be with Latin and
Italian. Generally thie Erasmian "thing" it is foreign to the Greek Language
an invetion of English people trying to "speak Greek?" NO SENCE ......
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Buchan" <jpbuchan at gmail.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Re: How do modern Greeks pronounce Biblical Greek?
I lived in Greece for a few years and learned modern Greek before I began
studying NT Greek seriously. Frankly, when you're used to modern
pronunciation, the Erasmian pronunciation sounds monstrous. If you learn
modern Greek first, it is very difficult to use the Erasmian pronunciation.
Since modern Greek pronounces I, H, Y, EI, OI, YI as I, that can be a bit
confusing. Likewise AI and E. (A lot of people in Greece get these vowels
and combinations mixed up in writing the modern language, too - occasionally
you might see KENH instead of KAINH diatheke, for instance (!) - but what is
perhaps more difficult is the lack of pronunciation for the rough breathing,
which has caused me some confusion. Obviously this means that hYMEIS and
hHMEIS are pronounced exactly the same, which can be problematic. On the
other hand, there are definite benefits to pronouncing chi with a rough
kh-sound, as in modern Greek, to distinguish it from kappa. On balance, I
don't think there's anything really difficult about learning koine with
modern Greek pronunciation. Paul Buchan
---
B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
B-Greek mailing list
B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Buchan" <jpbuchan at gmail.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Re: How do modern Greeks pronounce Biblical Greek?
I lived in Greece for a few years and learned modern Greek before I began
studying NT Greek seriously. Frankly, when you're used to modern
pronunciation, the Erasmian pronunciation sounds monstrous. If you learn
modern Greek first, it is very difficult to use the Erasmian pronunciation.
Since modern Greek pronounces I, H, Y, EI, OI, YI as I, that can be a bit
confusing. Likewise AI and E. (A lot of people in Greece get these vowels
and combinations mixed up in writing the modern language, too - occasionally
you might see KENH instead of KAINH diatheke, for instance (!) - but what is
perhaps more difficult is the lack of pronunciation for the rough breathing,
which has caused me some confusion. Obviously this means that hYMEIS and
hHMEIS are pronounced exactly the same, which can be problematic. On the
other hand, there are definite benefits to pronouncing chi with a rough
kh-sound, as in modern Greek, to distinguish it from kappa. On balance, I
don't think there's anything really difficult about learning koine with
modern Greek pronunciation. Paul Buchan
---
B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
B-Greek mailing list
B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Buchan" <jpbuchan at gmail.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Re: How do modern Greeks pronounce Biblical Greek?
I lived in Greece for a few years and learned modern Greek before I began
studying NT Greek seriously. Frankly, when you're used to modern
pronunciation, the Erasmian pronunciation sounds monstrous. If you learn
modern Greek first, it is very difficult to use the Erasmian pronunciation.
Since modern Greek pronounces I, H, Y, EI, OI, YI as I, that can be a bit
confusing. Likewise AI and E. (A lot of people in Greece get these vowels
and combinations mixed up in writing the modern language, too - occasionally
you might see KENH instead of KAINH diatheke, for instance (!) - but what is
perhaps more difficult is the lack of pronunciation for the rough breathing,
which has caused me some confusion. Obviously this means that hYMEIS and
hHMEIS are pronounced exactly the same, which can be problematic. On the
other hand, there are definite benefits to pronouncing chi with a rough
kh-sound, as in modern Greek, to distinguish it from kappa. On balance, I
don't think there's anything really difficult about learning koine with
modern Greek pronunciation. Paul Buchan
---
B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
B-Greek mailing list
B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
---
B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
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