[B-Greek] Esprit doux (was "B-Greek Year End Awards")

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Wed Jan 6 08:06:42 EST 2010


On Jan 6, 2010, at 6:20 AM, Sarah Madden wrote:
> Carl wrote: " And was it not Voltaire who said, 'Si l'esprit doux n'existait
> pas,
> il faudrait l'inventer?' "
> 
> My French is a little rusty, so I asked an expert (my brother who was a
> Wycliffe linguist for 20 years and speaks and translates French fluently).
> Here's his translation: "If a gentle spirit did not exist, it would have to
> be invented."
> 
> My question: Was Carl referring to the smooth breathing mark as the "gentle
> spirit" that had to be invented? Just a thought.

ψιλὸν πνεῦμα καὶ δασὺ πνεῦμα [YILON PNEUMA ΚΑΙ DASU PNEUMA]

"Esprit rude" et "esprit doux" = "spiritus asper" and "spiritus lenis"

"Rough breathing" and "smooth breathng"

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



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