[B-Greek] What we can live with (was papyrus text)
Randall Buth
randallbuth at gmail.com
Mon Apr 13 16:04:41 EDT 2009
andrew egrapse
>Dr. Smith -
>> The Erasmian pronunciation scheme is part of a system that has rarely produced students capable of actually thinking or much less communicating in Greek. <
>It seems we may be asking a "pronunciation scheme" to carry a burden it's not capable of bearing.
>Andrew
You're both right. The local Erasmian systems are not the cause of the
failure to produce, but they are connected to the pedagogical system
that fails to produce.
What this means when unpacked:
when someone sets their goal to fully internalize Greek as a second
language, then they should reconsider the PROFORA (pronunciation)
question, because they will be saddled with the outcome after the 3000
hour process. For me, I think that the primary sphere of work is
probably the main criterion.
If Homer to Aristotle is the primary focus and includes communicative
language learning, then I would recommend 'restored Attic' as an
option, aspirated-stops p, t, k, long 'long vowels' and tones.
If Koine, then Koine pronunciation.
If modern, then modern pronunication.
PS: all three of these can be recorded and made available for learners.
PSS: While one can slip in and out of Koine-to-modern-to-Koine
pronunciation rather easily (basically, some HTA's get put in the
wrong places when not paying attention) this cannot be easily done
with 'restored Attic'.
In this array, a fourth system, 'local erasmian', would drop out as
unnecessary. It would probably be promoted or passed on by those who
did not care or plan to go all the way and were mimicking old
textbooks. But as I've said many times on the list, it should not be
recorded and passed on by major publishers. Why solidify an error in
concrete and mass-produce it with new technology? Instead, one should
get it 'in the ballpark of right' and mass-produce that.
Also, there is room to speak and to learn to speak one system for
internalization, while still being able to read the other systems in
specialized contexts. I suspect that some ancient scholars maintained
an ancient reading tradition something like English professors today
who read Chaucer as Chaucer. It's quaint, though not what one would
say on the street, it can be fun in the ivory tower. This could be an
option for those with primary Koine and NT interests when 'playing
Homer', they could drop their normal "Luke and Paul" pronunciation and
use an artificial 'stilted' restored Attic for Sophocles and Homer. Or
they could listen to Stephen Daitz doing this on CD and just go about
their own Koine reading of the Iliad in private.
blessings
Randall
--
Randall Buth, PhD
www.biblicalulpan.org
randallbuth at gmail.com
Biblical Language Center
Learn Easily - Progress Further - Remember for Life
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