The Rudiments of Greek: Alphabet and Pronunciation

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Randolph Hunter
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Particularly helpful to those who use this book is a new electronic aid-a full ride0 of a beginning Greek class taught in 2004 by the author on the basis of Funfamental Greek

By clickng on the itunes U symbol, individuals can access a complete nine-week course 'three hours each day, five days each week). Finally, the important matter of thanks.

Ualdemar Degner of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, ndiana, and 3eoffrey M.

vly thanks continues to,concordia Pubishing House and to its editors for their strong commitment to this textbook ;ince 1986; to my ever-growing list of former students and

Caragounis of the University of Lund (Sweden), :o-chair with me of "The Language of the New Testament" seminar in the inter- ~ational New Testament society, Studiorum Novi

wife, Judy, or her strong and unwavering support for me and for all my projects decade after iecade.

ntroduction The Rudiments of Greek: Alphabet and Pronunciation n this first chapter, we will introduce the basic components of Greek: the letters, their pronunciation, and the

1 Particularly helpful to those who use this book is a new electronic aid-a full ride0 of a beginning Greek class taught in 2004 by the author on the basis of Funfamental Greek Grammnr. Access to this electronic classroom experience is available )n the Web site of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, at By clickng on the itunes U symbol, individuals can access a complete nine-week course 'three hours each day, five days each week). Finally, the important matter of thanks. Three scholars and friends acknowl- :dged for their fine help in the first and second editions-harold Buls and G. Ualdemar Degner of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, ndiana, and 3eoffrey M. Styler of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge-are now, sadly, ieceased, though they are not forgotten. vly thanks continues to,concordia Pubishing House and to its editors for their strong commitment to this textbook ;ince 1986; to my ever-growing list of former students and teaching colleagues, so nany of whom engage and stimulate me on matters pertaining to the Greek lanpage; to Professor Chrys C. Caragounis of the University of Lund (Sweden), :o-chair with me of "The Language of the New Testament" seminar in the inter- ~ational New Testament society, Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, with whom lave had the privilege to work and from whom have learned so much about the ~istory and development of the Greek language; and most of all to my wife, Judy, or her strong and unwavering support for me and for all my projects decade after iecade. Without all of these co-contributors, as it were, this book would not le possible. Soli Deo Gloria! Easter 2007 A. ntroduction The Rudiments of Greek: Alphabet and Pronunciation n this first chapter, we will introduce the basic components of Greek: the letters, their pronunciation, and the reading and accenting of words. The importance of this lesson cannot be overestimated. Students who never really master the alphabet or who fail to learn to pronounce words correctly are forever handicapped and never really learn the language in which God's Word of the new covenant was written. B. The Alphabet 1. The Letters Small a P Y Capital A B r Name Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Epsilon Zeta Eta Theta Kappa Lambda Mu Nu Xi Omicron Pi Rho Sigma Tau Pronunciation a, as in father b g, as in got (not as in generous) d e, as in get dz, as in adds a, as in grey th, as in thing (not as in this) i, as in hit (long L = ee as in machine) k X, as in axe o, as in ought P r

(2) Length Diphthongs are always considered long, with one major exception relating to at and OL. See D 3 below. c. Breathing Marks A word that begins with a vowel or diphthong carries a breathing mark, either rough or smooth.

(EG 3) 'innos = hippos Originally, the rough breathing was marked by H, but this came to be used for eta. See also William W. Goodwin, Greek Grammar (London: Macmillan, 1963), 11-13.

Consonants may be classified in several ways (see Goodwin, Greek Grammar, 16-26).

Several others are called liquids because of their smooth sound. The following chart is useful and must be learned. Voiceless Voiced Aspirated (with air),& K Y x = gutiurals v$$.

Greek Grammar, 27) and are a combination of a guttural (K, y, or X) plus o and a labial (n, P, or 4) plus o respectively. c. The consonants are pronounced as written, except that y before any guttural is pronounced ng.

Only one vowel or diphthong is allowed per syllable. b. Every syllable must have one (and only one) vowel or dlphthong. We may.

A consonant surrounded by vowels normally begins a new syllable. c. Several consonants together in the middle of a word begin a syllable together if they could stand at the beginning of a Greek word.

3 (2) Length Diphthongs are always considered long, with one major exception relating to at and OL. See D 3 below. c. Breathing Marks A word that begins with a vowel or diphthong carries a breathing mark, either rough or smooth. A smooth breathing mark ( ' ) has no effect on pronunciation; a rough mark (' ) shows that the initial vowel or diphthong is aspirated, that is, it is preceded by the sound h. (EG 3) 'innos = hippos Originally, the rough breathing was marked by H, but this came to be used for eta. See also William W. Goodwin, Greek Grammar (London: Macmillan, 1963), Note:The breathing mark of a word beginning with a diphthong will appear over the second letter of the diphthong. (EG 4) a6~65 2. Consonants a. Consonants may be classified in several ways (see Goodwin, Greek Grammar, 16-26). The most convenient is to distinguish among gutrurals (formed at the back of the throat), labials (formed with the lips), and dentals (formed by pressing the tongue to the teeth). Several others are called liquids because of their smooth sound. The following chart is useful and must be learned. Voiceless Voiced Aspirated (with air),& K Y x = gutiurals v$$.. 7c P 4 = labials fi8,$*', 2. T 6 8 = dentals :,$$ ik.k Liquids = h +.&+& 7'3.8 & b. 5 and y/ are called double consonants. They are late developments in the Greek alphabet (Goodwin. Greek Grammar, 27) and are a combination of a guttural (K, y, or X) plus o and a labial (n, P, or 4) plus o respectively. c. The consonants are pronounced as written, except that y before any guttural is pronounced ng. (EG 5) ByyeXoq = angelos (not aggelos).. D. Syllables 1. Vowels and Diphthongs Greek words are divided by syllable, as are English words. The same baslc prlnclples apply: a. Only one vowel or diphthong is allowed per syllable. b. Every syllable must have one (and only one) vowel or dlphthong. We may. therefore, divide the following words thus: (EG 6) ci ya (EG 7) 606 1ho~ (EG 8) i E pov 2. Consonants a. A consonant may begin or end a syllable b. A consonant surrounded by vowels normally begins a new syllable. c. Several consonants together in the middle of a word begin a syllable together if they could stand at the beginning of a Greek word. (This point is somewhat difficult because Greek begins words with many combinations with which English does not. See EG 12.) (EG 9) ya (see D 2 a, D 2 b) (EG 10) a 1 no 1 o ~ o 105 (see D 2 a, D 2 b, D 2 c) (EG 11) nkp no (see D 2 c) (EG 12) 3. Length f ~8qv (see D 2 c) A syllable is long or shortdependlng on ~ts vowel or dlphthong. f it contams a long vowel or a diphthong, it is long; if it contains a short vowel. it S short.the only exception concerns finalat and OL, that S, syllables at the end of a word that have the at and OL diphthong as the last two 1etters.These are considered short for accenting purposes. (This will be important n chapter 2.) E. Transition between Words Greek was highly conscious of hiatus, that S, the open clash of vowels As a result, two modifications often take place at the end of words. 1 f the final vowel of a word is a short a, L, or o, it often elides (drops out) when the following word begins with a vowel.2 An apostrophe indlcates the elislon. (EG 13) nap& O~KF +~ap' O E K ~

b THE RUDMENTS OF GREEK: ALPHABET AND P~{ONUNCATON 7 (EG 15) arcb o i ~ i-. a &rc' ~ o i ~ i a ~ 2. A short L at the end of some verb and noun forms (usually after o) adds a v to prevent hiatus.

4 b THE RUDMENTS OF GREEK: ALPHABET AND P~{ONUNCATON 7 (EG 15) arcb o i ~ i-. a &rc' ~ o i ~ i a ~ 2. A short L at the end of some verb and noun forms (usually after o) adds a v to prevent hiatus. (EG 16) ph~xouo~ a4~6v -. ph&rcouo~v abr6v Note the similarity to English: (EG 18) an apple (not a apple) F. Accents (Just to Get Started) As it is commonly written in the West. Greek has accents. Note the marks (not breathing marks!) on the Greek words in the examples above, especially on the last syllable and on the second last syllable of the first two words in EG 14, respectively, and on the first syllable of the word in EG 7. As with breathing marks, the accent is placed over a vowel and over the second letter of a diphthong (see the first two words of EG 14). For the purposes of this chapter, when pronouncing a Greek word, simply lay stress on the syllable that carries such a mark.the various accents and the principles of their usage will be discussed in detail in chapter 2. G. Exercises 1. Which letter comes after each of the following in the alphabet? p + n C v t z e 2. Which are the short vowels? the variable vowels? 3. Classify the following consonants. a. K= d. z= b. p= e. X= c. e= f. x= 4. Divide the following words into syllables.. Notes 1. The pronunciation of these letter combinations follows American tradition. Continental scholars pronounce &L as ei (as in height) and EU as ot (as in oil). The latter system is superior for memorization of verb forms. On ancient pronunciat~on, see Goodwin, Greek Grammar, 18, and especially Chrys C. Caragounis, The Developmetlt of Greek and the New Testanlent (Tiibingen: Mohr- Siebeck, 2004), A final E may also elide, but generally not in verb forms. H. Reading Read John 1 :-5, pronouncing each word carefully.

THE RUDMENTS OF CKPEK: ACCPNTNC; AND PTNC''US'ON 9 The Rudiments of Greek: Accenting and Punctuation (c) An acute accent may stand on the ultima, penult, or antepenult A, Accenting 1.

The accent marks were invented by Aristophanes of Byzantium, an Alexandrian, around 200 BC to aid foreigners in their pronunciation of Greek. (See William W.

Originally, they indicated the rise and fall of the voice; now they simply indicate which syllable of a word is to be stressed. 3. Placement of Accent a.

is, third-last). antepenult penult ultima -3 F-/ (EG) nape~alheoa Only one of these three syllables may carry a word's accent. b.

. General (1) Position (a) A grave accent may stand only on the ultima. (b) A circumflex accent may stand only on the ultima or penult.

5 THE RUDMENTS OF CKPEK: ACCPNTNC; AND PTNC''US'ON 9 The Rudiments of Greek: Accenting and Punctuation (c) An acute accent may stand on the ultima, penult, or antepenult A, Accenting 1. ntroduction Greek accent was originally musical, that is, indicating pitch, not stress. The accent marks were invented by Aristophanes of Byzantium, an Alexandrian, around 200 BC to aid foreigners in their pronunciation of Greek. (See William W. Goodwin, Greek Grammar [London: Macmillan, 19631, 107.) 2. Types of Accent $l.$ $""% Greek has three basic accents, the acute ('1, the C cumflex(-), and (' ). Originally, they indicated the rise and fall of the voice; now they simply indicate which syllable of a word is to be stressed. 3. Placement of Accent a. Syllables to Be Accented The last three syllables of a word are called the ultima (the last syllable), the penult (the second-last syllable), and the antepenult (before the second-last syllable, that is, third-last). antepenult penult ultima -3 F-/ (EG) nape~alheoa Only one of these three syllables may carry a word's accent. b. Letters to Be Accented An accent is placed on the vowel or (second letter of the) diphthong of the syllable to be accented. See EG Rules of Accenting a.. General (1) Position (a) A grave accent may stand only on the ultima. (b) A circumflex accent may stand only on the ultima or penult. (2) Syllable Length (a) A grave accent may stand on a long or short syllable (b) A circumflexaccent may stand on a long syllable only. (c) An acute accent may stand on a long or short syllable. b. Major Modifications lcai nap96vov~ (1) Ultima and Words Following f the ultima carries an acute accent, this changes to a grave if a word follows directly, without ntervening punctuation. (EG 4) dr6~h465, but &6~h465 E? Note: A grave accent is slrnply an acute accent on the ultima that has been changed because a word follows. (2) Length of Ultlma and Accent (a) f the ultima is long (that is, a long vowel or diphthong), (i) an acute accent cannot stand on the antepenult. (EG 5) ayysho~, not &yyehov (ou is long) i Note: This rule means that a long ultima prohibits any accent on the antepenult. (ii) a circumflex accent cannot stand on the penult. (EG 6) , not 806hq (q is long) (b) f the ultlma S short (that S, a short vowel or f~nal at or 01) 1 and the penult S long and the penult S to be accented, ~t must carry the circumflex. f

This accent can only be acute; see A 4 a (1) (c).

6 (EG 7) c. Specific Applications (1) Verb Accent 6oCho5, not 606ho~ (OU is long and o is short) Verb accent is recessive. This means that (a) if the last syllable is short, the verb's accent will recede to the left (from the end, that is, back) three syllables to the antepenult. This accent can only be acute; see A 4 a (1) (c). Note: ntervening syllable length is irrelevant (see EG 91, (b) if the last syllable is long, the verb's accent will recede only two syllables to the penult; see A 4 b (2) (a) (i). This accent must be acute; see A 4 b (2) (a) (ii). (EG 10) nat6~6ei5. not nctiseue~~ (E is long) (EG 11) K~LSE~ELS, not ~~SE~~EL$ ( 1 is long) Note: Because of these two rules, virtually all verb accents are acute and are on the second- or third-last syllable. (2) Noun Accent Noun accent is persistent. This means that a noun's accent will stay as it is on the same syllable on which it begins unless the ultima turns long in another form. n this case, (a) if it began as an acute on the antepenult, it must move (it cannot change to a circumflex or grave because these cannot stand on the antepenult). (EG 12) dyyeho~ -+ 6yy~hou (ou is long) See A 4 b (2) (a)(i). Note: A noun whose accent begins on the ultima follows a special pattern of accenting (see chapter 4, D 3 b), but the accent will remain on the ultima. d. Overall Summary (1) Accent can always be determined for any given verb form. The verb's accent always seeks to recede as far left (that is, back from the end) as possible. f the ultima is short, it goes back three; if the ultima is long, it recedes only two. (2) A noun's accent is persistent, but the initial location of that accent must be learned; it cannot be deduced from general rules. t is worth remembering that if the ultima turns long, the accent (a) is forced to move only if it began on the antepenult; (b) is forced to change type only if it began as a circumflex on the penult. (3) n general, a word with a long ultima will have an acute accent on the penult. B. Punctuation The following punctuation is common in the Greek texts printed by modern editors: 1.. (period) =. (period) 2., (comma) =, (comma) 3. ; (semicolon) =? (question mark) 4. ' (raised period) = : (colon) or ; (semicolon) C. Exercises 1. Accent the following verb forms. (b) if it began as a circumflex on the penult, it changes to an acute (a grave cannot stand on the penult). t need not move. (EG 13) lioijhoq + 606hq (ct, is long) See A 4 b (2) (a) (ii). Note: n both cases, an acute accent on the penult results. An acute accent on the penult will generally remain as it is throughout all forms.

7 2. The following words are nouns. The accent of the first form is given. Accent the remaining forms. a. h6yo5 b. 60Gho5 c. dvepono5 d. cihfieeta e. 66pov hoyw 6ouhou civ0pwxou cihqee~aq bopou hoyots 6ouhov avepwxo~ ahqo~tq Sopq hoyot bouhwv dv0po~ouq ahqeeta~ Swpa hoyou~ 8ouho~ dvepwxov ahqe~~av Swpo~q hoywv 6ouhou5 &vopoxov ahqe~~a~q Swpov D. Reading Read John 1 :9-13, pronouncing each word carefully. A. ntroduction Present ndicative Active and Middle Verb Forms The Greek verb basically conslsts of three parts: a stem, a connecting vowel, and an ending. Connecting Stem Vowel Ending (EG 1) hu o PEV (EG 2) ELK E oee Each part has a distinctive function (or functions). 1. The stem conveys two things: a. The basic meaning of the word. Thus hu- concerns "loosing" (that S. "setting free"), whlle ~ELX- conveys "leaving" ( ~ the n sense of "desert~ng," not "departing"). b. The tense of the verb form n most verb forms, the time frame of the action can be determined simply by looking at the stem. (EG 3) ilv o pev is present tense. (EG 4) 6 o ~ E is V future tense. (EG 5) ;ZE~C E O ~ is E present tense. (EG 6) hiy E oee is future tense (yr = n (EG 7) 6 kin E see is aorist (simple past) tense. Note: An 6 is added to the front of the verb form t o lndlcate past tlme.thls S discussed in deta~l in chapter The connectmg vowel (sometimes called the "thematic vowel") 1nd1- cates the mood, for example, indicative or subjunctive. (Mood deals with the conception the speaker or wrlter has of the action, for example, whether ~t deals with reallty [~ndlcative] or, n the Greek, wrth futurity and uncertainty subjunct~vel.) (EG 8) hu o yev is ~ndicative mood. (EG 9) hu w ~ E is V subjunctive mood (EG 10) heix E ooe is ind~catlve mood.

English for Life. B e g i n n e r. Lessons 1 4 Checklist Getting Started. Student s Book 3 Date. Workbook. MultiROM. Test 1 4

English for Life. B e g i n n e r. Lessons 1 4 Checklist Getting Started. Student s Book 3 Date. Workbook. MultiROM. Test 1 4 Lessons 1 4 Checklist Getting Started Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Introducing yourself Numbers 0 10 Names Indefinite articles: a / an this / that Useful expressions Classroom language Imperatives