[B-Greek] Pronunciation of Kappa, Pi and Tau

Eric Weiss papaweiss1 at yahoo.com
Thu Sep 28 17:23:12 EDT 2006


AK wrote:
   
  > I do not think that there will be much of a thread if respondents stick
  > to the point - Proof that one type of pronunciation is substantially
  > superior to others with respect to getting at the meanng of a Greek
  > text; or to put it another way, superior in making the learning of
  > Greek easier for the student, particularl, one studying on their own.
   
   
  Actually, the point of my original post was simply to ask how K, P and T should 
  be taught to be pronounced - and I don't think anyone has responded to that yet.
   
  A possibly useful response might be the answer to this question:
   
  Do Modern Greeks pronounce them like "Kit", "Pot", and "Top," or like "sKit", 
  "sPot", and "sTop"?
  

Eric Weiss <papaweiss1 at yahoo.com> wrote:
    Current pronunciations for these Greek letters are given as follows:
   
  C (chi) = kh as the "ch" in Bach
  K (kappa) = k as in kit
   
  F (phi) = ph as in philadelphia
  P (pi) = p as in pot
   
  Q (theta) = th (unvoiced) as in thin
  T (tau) = t as in top
   
  I understand that before Koine times, the letters were pronounced as follows:
   
  C = k as in kit
  K = soft k as in skit
   
  F = P as in pot
  P = soft p as in spot
   
  Q = T as in top
  T = soft t as in stop
   
  Now (i.e., since Koine times) that C, F, and Q have taken on their aspirated (?) 
  sounds - i.e., kh, ph, and th (unvoiced), respectively - should grammar books and 
  Koine Greek teachers say that K, P, and T be sounded as kit, pot and top (the current 
  practice) - or as skit, spot and stop? I.e., did K, P, and T become "harder", or did they 
  remain as their soft-sounding versions?
   


    Eric S. Weiss

    
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