[B-Greek] Changing Pronunciation

Nikolaos Adamou ntgreekreader at gmail.com
Mon Mar 14 22:27:23 EDT 2011


Apostolic Bible put interesting video in reading Greek, and an
introduction.  See:
http://www.apostolicbible.com/seminars/pronunciationseminar.mov

Chrys C. Caragounis, has an excellent CD for both Windows and Mac
environments, An Easy and Quick Course in How to Pronounce Greek as a
Greek that is incredibly helpful.
www.greeklatinaudio.com   is a good exercise as well as Romanos
http://i-kaini-dhiathiki.blogspot.com/
http://librivox.org/newcatalog/people_public.php?peopleid=2754  by
Pella Oekonomaki

Pronunciation is important for the language.
Accents are not there only to be written, but to help pronounce, same
as the diaeresis dots, same as punctuation.
The language has rhythm and meter, and euphony.

It has also history and continuation.
Changes that happen before the biblical era cannot be applied to the
biblical Greek.

With Greek with have a dichotomy.  I was attending some Classical
Greek classes as a visitors in a University.  Being accustom to
understand not only Erasmian, but Cypriot, Pontos, Cretan and other
dialects, I knew what was read. BUT none was reading with the
appropriate accentuation, diaeresis was used when was not there - that
is Erasmian - punctuation was irrelevant, and was no rhythm or meter,
with a cacophony as one result.
When I home I was listening such Greek lessons, my children - native
speaker were not able to understand what was read.  This is a great
split, separating natives from non native speakers (in Hebrew this is
not the case - all follow the native speakers).

Randall is understood by the Greeks, not an Erasmian.
He also understands Greeks, but not Erasmians.

But the big question is, why "reconstructed" and not "historical" voice?
The difference is when one hears γυνή, versus γῦνε - and it is not
only the sound of H vs E, but the correct accentuation as well, in
comprehending if it is nominative vs vocative.

I would like to make a point here, that is NOT in the literature.
There is no ONE ee sound for all I, H, Y, YI, OI, EI for a Greek speaker.
If you are in Athens and you hear a standardized sound then these
sounds are very close.  But if you are in any place where they still
keep traditional sounds, from the north-western corner to the south -
eastern corner (Cyprus) you can hear a family of sounds that each one
of the letter has its own distinctive sound.  This is more obvious to
those who keep traditional sounds, much less to those in the cities
that standardize the sound.  It is also obvious in church chanting as
well as in traditional singing.

So, as there are still Greeks, who never stop reading aloud the bible
in their churches, talking their language, writing poetry and prose,
and living it, why don't go alone to the native speakers.

In the past three very interesting books were published, now available
in google books free
The pronunciation of Greek Accent & Quantity - A Philological Inquiry
by Prof. John Stuart Blakie, 1852, Google Books
The Modern Greek language in its relation to the Ancient Greek by Prof
Edmund Martin Geldar, 1870, Google Books
The Modern Greek its pronunciation and relations to ancient Greek  by
Prof. Telemachus Thomas Timayenis 1877, Google Books

The last one provides at the end a list of words where the accent is
significant in making a distinction to the meaning of the word.

go along with their suggestions, and there are not Greeks!
.




On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 8:23 PM, Mark Lightman <lightmanmark at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Paul asked about
>
> <3) MATERIALS ONLINE?>
>
> Hi, Paul,
>
> List member Ben Griffiths makes videos using the Buthian PROFORA:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB7TEB0_hoo
>
> And don't forget about Sorenson's songs:
>
> http://www.letsreadgreek.com/songs/
>
>
>  Mark L
>
>
>
> FWSFOROS MARKOS
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Paul D. Nitz <paul.d.nitz at gmail.com>
> To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> Sent: Sun, March 13, 2011 12:00:36 PM
> Subject: [B-Greek]  Changing Pronunciation
>
> Would those who have switched their Greek pronunciation from Erasmian to
> Historical Greek Pronunciation share some advice?
>
> 1) WORTH IT?
> From what I've read, changing pronunciation is WORTH it.  Fluency and
> internalizing the Greek will be easier for new students if they use a more
> natural pronunciation than Erasmian.  Does your experience mesh with this.
>
> 2) ADVICE?
> Do you have any practical advice?  Cold turkey, etc?
>
> 3) MATERIALS ONLINE?
> If I understand correctly, HGP comes from Buth and Living Koine materials.  I
> intend to buy the Living Koine materials when back in the States in July, but I
> had thought to get a start now.  A couple hours of search online gave me naught
> all.
>
> (Nearly all links to promising samples on biblicalgreek.org do not work for me.
> Likely the vagaries of my African  ISP)
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
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>
>
>
>
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
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