[B-Greek] Koine Greek pronunciation

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Sat Apr 12 12:51:56 EDT 2008


On Apr 12, 2008, at 10:55 AM, JMonte2000 at aol.com wrote:

> I'm taking a course with someone and they pronounce an omicron as a  
> long O
> like an Omega. He didn't know why we pronounce the omicron  
> differently, does
> anyone know why this is? I'm pronouncing how Bill Mounce does on  
> his  Lecture's
> CD's. They are using Machen's book for 1st year. I'm doing the last   
> few
> chapters with them, his exercises are very hard, much harder then  
> Mounce's.  Then
> we'll start on syntax using Dana and Mantey.

Don't assume that Mounce's pronunciation has any authority other than  
tradition. Realize too that there are other traditions. Although I  
don't know this for a fact, I would assume that Mounce's pronunciation  
is Erasmian, and that is notoriously artificial. You ought to take a  
look at Randall Buth's notes on Koine Pronunciation at
http://www.biblicalulpan.org/PDF%20Files/PRONSYS1%202005.pdf
This pronunciation is based on a carefully-reasoned analysis of how  
Greek was pronounced in the NT era; Omicron and Omega are indeed  
pronounced alike at this time.


Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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