note to readers there is an older posting of this article
I am reposting the series of 4 this week and next cos I like to start the newyear with a review of basics
THE
SOUNDS OF GREEK
How
Greek Was and Is Pronounced
This
is part two of a series of 4 blogs over one week.
Η
η Eta a LONG e sound like the e in hAIry or French tête
Modern
Greek I though or “ee” as in fEEt
Θ
θ Theta A aspirated T as in the beginning of Tin or Tare or the
sound in the middle of hot-house however it later became a th as in
THIN. The lack of the fricative sound in Irish Gaelic is why some
speakers of Irish English even those with no knowledge of Gaelic
change th in some English words to a t sound. This is declining due
to the influence of modern media but if you've ever wondered about
the Irish accent jokes in old movies and books well that's the origin
of them.
Θ
θ Φ φ Χ χ are all aspirated letters in Classical Greek.
Ι
ι Iota I in machIne or bIn.
These
letters are ALL pronounced IOTA in Modern Greek.
η
υ ει οι υι all = ι as in English bEAd IPA [i]
Κ
κ Kappa K in Kinetic or Back or sKin
Λ
λ Lambda L in Labyrinth or Look
Μ
μ M in Metaphor or seeM.
Don't forget to check the first post and the next two !
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