[B-Greek] Pronunciation rules

Larry Heflin ljheflin at sbcglobal.net
Sat Oct 8 03:58:09 EDT 2005


Okay Curtis and any others who may want to jump in, I've been thinking it over some since my last post and I've got to issue a bit of a friendly challenge on this one regarding Zodhiates and his Modern pronunciation of the Greek NT. A couple of observations and questions:
 
1. Has anybody who actually speaks modern Greek made this assessment? This is not a challenge to anybody's credentials. I think it is reasonable to ask where this doubt concerning  Zodhiates' pronunciation is coming from. Are you are giving expert evaluation or are passing on a casual impression or is it something that you have heard elsewhere. Since I don't have the expertise on this matter I have to rely on others. It's very important to me that I don't learn pronunciation like a Greek Pee Wee Herman. 
Without something else to go on I have to lean toward the guy who actually is a Greek, who was born on the island of Cyprus, and has a lifetime of association with all things Greek. I'm from Texas and I can tell you that with a name like Spiros Zodhiates, that boy ain't from around here.
 
2. Compared to Marilyn Phemister's Erasmian reading (which is very articulate and seems flawless), Zodhiates Greek sounds almost like music to me.
 
3. It's been mentioned on this list that Zodhiates starts out reading slow and picks up the pace. I can confirm this. For instance 1 John chapter 1 is read sslloowwwly. Chapter 2 is quick. I can't keep up with his faster pace yet. Is it possible that you have heard only those portions where he deliberately slows his reading down?
 
4. I'm not sure what you mean by "voice acting." If he is doing a Greek Hamlet I am not able to discern it at this point. 
 
5. It's impossible that there could be anything wrong with Zodhiates' Greek because that would mean that I have wasted $70.00. Preposterous!
 
6. Until I have some solid information that Zodhiates is propagating "Modern/Koine Greek gone wild," I have to go with my initial impression, which is that the Greek he is speaking is something beautiful and is useful for learning Biblical pronunciation.
 
Speaking of pronunciation, I will pass on something that I think may be useful to some regarding the use of audio software with these Greek recordings. But, I'll do it in a new thread.
 
 
Larry Heflin
ljheflin at sbcglobal.net
 
All men are mortal. Socrates was a man. All men are Socrates.
 


Curtis Hinson <curtis at curtishinson.com> wrote:
In a word, it would be better. :-D

I have not listened to every bit of Zodhiates' recording but what I have 
heard struck me as almost as strange as an Erasmian recording. He uses 
a modern pronunciation, but he doesn't seem to be speaking with the 
natural...rythm...of...the...l-a-n-g-u-a-g-e. A couple of people I know 
came to the same conclusion on their own before hearing my opinion. I 
do not understand why he reads in this fasion, and one of my friends 
owns the entire recording and says what I heard is no exception. Also 
the voice acting isn't done very well. I think there is room for a 
better recording and maybe we'll get one!

I heard a rumour that Zodhiates has a second set of recordings designed 
for native speakers, as though the set you usually hear about is 
designed for ZENOI, but I hadn't been able to confirm that or get my 
hands on this other set.

Bless the Name
Curtis Hinson

Larry Heflin wrote the following on 10/7/2005 12:40 PM:

>How would this differ from what is already available with Spiros Zodhiates recording? 
>(a recent purchase of mine with which I am pleased)
> 
>Larry
> 
> 
>
>Curtis Hinson wrote:
>
>
>P.S. The word on the street is that Greeks for Christ is working on a 
>new audio reading of the GNT by native Greek speakers!
>
>
> 
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>




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