[B-Greek] Koine Kasruth (Especially Keyboards)

Dewayne Dulaney dewayne.dulaney at gmail.com
Thu Apr 21 21:01:45 EDT 2011


Randall, and Jason, while I respect what you're saying about reasons
for using the native keyboards, I have to agree with Mark L. (Φοσφορος
Μαρκος) and Oun Kwon on this one. Two quick points:

1) The native keyboards (Greek and Israeli Hebrew were primarily, I
suspect, created for typing the modern forms of the languages, for
everyday communication, not for scholarly/religious use, and not,
primarily, for typing the ancient languages. (If I'm wrong about the
reasons for their creation, fine, but I expect not.)

2) Perhaps there is not the distance-putting you might think (I
certainly intend none), as when I use the keyboards I mentioned, I am
using them to type in Koine/Attic and in Biblical, not Modern, Hebrew.
Not just isolated words always, either, but actually trying to
communicate in the ancient languages, as those who've seen my efforts
on ΣΧΟΛΗ and in private emails can attest. And since the output is in
the native scripts and languages, not transliteration (although I use
transliteration when needed to help others), I don't see any
distance-putting there.

I don't have anything against learning new keyboards, either. When I
get time I'll look at the native Greek and Israeli keyboards.
Meanwhile, I think writing in Greek and Hebrew with any keyboard that
works for you is better than not writing in Greek or Hebrew.

I also agree with Carl Conrad about the Greek usage needing to include
everyday language, and not conforming slavishly to some arbitrary
standard. After all, Markos and others use Koine to write about
football and baseball, among other modern things that did not exist
when Koine was natively spoken. I don't have a problem with that at
all, or using borrowings from modern Greek or Grecizing English terms
for certain things (if necessary). I'm still learning to write in
Koine and Biblical Hebrew and have a long way to go before I'd
consider myself good in writing either. But I'm enjoying the effort,
and reading and responding to what others write. (Aside to Jason: I
will get back to you with more BH, I promise!) It's a marvelous
adventure. And even though I prefer the Modern Greek accent (I
switched last year from Erasmian), speaking in Ancient Greek in any
accent, even Erasmian (no offense, Markos) is better than not speaking
it at all, in my view.

Just my 2 drachmae/denarii,

Δεβένιος Δουλένιος (Dewayne Dulaney)

-- 
"In the world you will have trouble. But, be brave! I have defeated the world!"
—John 16:33, DDV (Dewayne Dulaney Version)

My Bible blogs: http://my.opera.com/Loquor/blog/ and
http://hasopher.preachersfiles.com/



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