At the beginning of each year I like to review the basics! Starting with the ABC
IF you're a long term follower I have updated this !
THE
SOUNDS OF GREEK
How
Greek Was and Is Pronounced
As
the Greek ABC has 24 letters I will be posting this article as a
series of 4 blogs over the next fortnight.
Part
One Covers the letters from Alpha to Zeta
A
Note to Classical scholars planning to visit Greece. Learn the
Demotic pronunciation!
Modern
Greeks may study some Homer and Classical writers in Secondary School
or University but using katherousa even accidentally may be offensive
or more importantly just not understood!
I
have tried to explain these sounds in a way that will make sense to
people who havn't studied linguistics. If you do want a more formal
explanation check out the excellent Wikipedia sites on Greek
Phonology and language.
A
α Alpha
The vowel in Archon or cAlm or cUp or Italian Amare.
B
β Beta
The B in Biology or Bed.
However
in Modern Greek this is V as in Voice!
English
V in OVER would be written as οβερ.
Classical
Greek wrote W and V sounds as OU
so
when citing Latin or other non Greek names like Valerius start with
ου.
The
B sound in Modern Greek is written as μπ
but
note that this is “mb” in the middle of a word.
The
Greek Diphthongs αυ ευ are pronounced av and ev or af and ef
depending on the following consonant. So Αυγά is avga in Demotic
and αυτός is aftos.
Γ
γ Gamma
The G in Graph or Gang or Got. It's a HARD G in Classical
Greek!
Modern
Greek has a j / y or a sound like the G in German sagen or jager
or
the g in Spanish fuego or English Yield or Gem or suGar.
The
G sound in English Get is written as γκ.
A
double gamma is used to represent the “ng” sound in Angle and
Angel in Classical Greek hence New Testament and Classical aggelos.
It's
Angelus in Latin and Angel in English.
Gamma
before κ χ and γ is nk or ng.
Δ
δ Delta
D in Democracy or Deed or Dot
Modern
Greek Delta has become “dh” the soft sound in
English
This or breadTH or faTHer.
D
as a sound is now written as ντ which also represents “nd” in
the middle of a Greek word.
Dachshunds
are Dogs becomes something like νταχσουντ αρ ντογξ!
Ε
ε Epsilon
E in Epigram or the vowel in pEt or French é
Ζ
ζ
Zeta was a zd or sometimes dz sound as in Zeus
like
English aDZe, glaZeD or wiSDom
Modern
Greek Zeta is Z as in English laZy!
Τζ
in Modern Greek is a ts dz type sound.
Other
letters used to represent double consonants also known as digraphs
are
Ξ
ξ and Ψ ψ. This is a sensible innovation as Greek verbs add s to
their stems in the Future and Aorist.
