Re: How Long to Learn K. Greek?

From: Micheal Palmer (mwpalmer@earthlink.net)
Date: Sat Apr 25 1998 - 23:31:36 EDT


I would like to give a hearty second to Carl Conrad's comments on learning
Greek. What often passes for fluency among New Testament Greek students is
simply great familiarity with the biblical text. I would like to offer a
chellenge. Try reading something besides the New Testament.

You can pick something from the same time period (or at least close) if
you're concerned about the differences between hellenistic (koine) and
classical Greek. I would recommend Epictetus, Arrian's _History of
Alexander_ and _Indica_, or Chariton's novel _Callirhoe_. There are many
other works written in fluent hellenistic Greek which could serve as a test
of fluency for a reader of the Greek New Testament, but these would give
you a good sample.

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Micheal W. Palmer mwpalmer@earthlink.net
Religion & Philosophy
Meredith College

Visit the Greek Language and Linguistics Gateway at
http://home.earthlink.net/~mwpalmer/
You can also access my online bibliography of Greek Linguistics at
http://home.earthlink.net/~mwpalmer/greek.linguistics.bibliography/bibliography.
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