[B-Greek] Pronunciation of initial iota in LXX
Albert Pietersma
albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Sat Feb 3 15:45:57 EST 2007
The subject header makes reference specific to the "LXX", seemingly
suggesting that the LXX operates under set of phonetic rules different
from other Greek of the period. I see no reason to believe that, and
in any case such a thesis would need to demonstrated. That having been
said, it would seem clear that translators both transliterated and
transcribed. The difference between these two might be stated as
follows: transliteration involves transfer from a WRITTEN text, whereas
transcription involves transferring from the SOUND of a word. That
accounts for the frequent violations in proper nouns in the LXX of,
for example, Grassmann's law about aspirates (see e.g. TIQHMI rather
than *QIQHMI).
Al
On Feb 3, 2007, at 3:27 PM, Carl W. Conrad wrote:
>
> On Feb 3, 2007, at 3:04 PM, Peter Heffner wrote:
>
>> To whom it may concern:
>>
>> I wish to know how initial iota would have been spoken when before an
>> epsilon, and with a rough breathing mark.
>
> I'm not really convinced such a combination ever occurs. I believe
> that when an Iota appears before an epsilon (as it will only do in a
> transliterated Greek form of an alien proper name), it comes with a
> SMOOTH breathing.
>
>> For example:
>>
>> Was 'Ieremias "Hee-er-em-ias" or "Yer-em-i-as?"
>> Was 'Ierusalem "Hee-eh-ru-sa-lem" or "Ye-ru-sa-lem?"
>
> So far as I can discern, it's a smooth breathing; our B-Greek
> transliteration is IEREMIAS and it is five syllables I-E-RE-MI-AS; in
> the sort of phoneticization that you're doing it would be something
> like "ee-ay-ray-mee-as."
>>
>> While I'm on the topic of semi-vowels, was Neemias "Ne-em-i-as" or
>> "Nyem-i-as?"
>
> Greek (ransliterated) NEEMIAS, pronounced "nay-ay-mee-as"
>
> This is assuming a Hellenistic Koine pronunciation.
>
>
> Carl W. Conrad
> Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
> 1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
> cwconrad2 at mac.com
> WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/
>
>
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>
—
Albert Pietersma
21 Cross Street,
Weston ON Canada M9N 2B8
Email: albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Homepage: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm
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