Learning Greek - Lesson 1

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Elpenor's Greek Language Pages

LESSON 1

THE GREEK LETTERS

The Greek language (

pronunciation

)

Introduction

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

WE USE Greek today, even when we are not aware of it:

In a cosmopolitan epoch we don't sympathize with the apostles of

ethnical characters.

Maybe you wouldn't agree with the statement above. The point is, that this

sentence is clearly understood, despite of the fact that it is composed of

Greek words!

-

cosmopolitan

comes from the Greek words

cosmos

(world, ornament, beauty,

harmony, order) and

polites

(citizen)

-

epoch

is the Greek

epoche

-

sympathize

comes from

sympaschein

-

apostle

from

apostolos

-

ethnical

from

ethnicos

-

character

is exactly the same in Greek, but with the stress in the final syllable

(charactèr).

ANCIENT GREEK grammatical and syntactical forms confuse even modern Greeks. A

student today in Greece must put great efforts to actually read Homer or Plato, despite

of the identity of the alphabet or the almost common

vocabulary

and all the other

similarities. Yet, if one knows the purpose of study and loves it, all difficulties become

something like a game - whatever one's mother tongue might be.

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

READING a grammar book on the internet, I saw a claim that "there is one and the

same thing, that the Greeks call 'oikos' while we call it 'home'". If this is the case, we

must stop wasting our time to learn Ancient Greek! If "home" is the same in English and

Greek, just close the source and grammar books and do something useful - open the

translations. But if things were so simple, there wouldn't have been a variety of

translations of the same text, and, to stay to the present example, we wouldn't have

invented

ecology

(a word coming from oikos and legein).

IN THE BOOK of Genesis, God "brought the beasts unto Adam to see what he would

call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name

thereof." (Gen. 2.19). This excerpt always reminds me, that a living and real language is

not formed by someone sitting somewhere and deciding indifferently meanings and

forms. A formation of a language is how people respond to an extreme responsibility, to

a divine demand of a language, and it is primarily oriented towards life and the

particularity of life - the world of the particular living creatures. Our language in its

highest forms and most of all in poetry, indicates how deep is our gaze upon whatever

exists. Importance of communication as a dialogue concerning the primary truths and

the importance given to men and each living being, are the grounds of Greek theology,

philosophy and science.

EACH WORD, each syllable, each letter is the flesh and blood of people generating

their language, forming and making their world habitable. Learn to write the Greek

letters. Experiment on how it would be more convenient for you to draw them. Take

time to look at each letter with care, like a stranger you meet for the first time - although

you won't meet all of them for the first time: not only a large portion of words, but even

the English alphabet comes from the Greek.

The Greek Alphabet

Ancient & Modern

Alpha is the first letter, Beta the second and so starts the Greek alphabet, 24 letters in
capital and small forms; (cf. detailed pronunciation below):

Α

α,

Β

β,

Γ

γ,

Δ

δ,

Ε

ε,

Ζ

ζ,

Η

η,

Θ

θ,

Ι

ι,

Κ

κ,

Λ

λ,

Μ

µ,

Ν

ν,

Ξ

ξ,

Ο

ο,

Π

π,

Ρ

ρ,

Σ

σς*,

Τ

τ,

Υ

υ,

Φ

φ,

Χ

χ,

Ψ

ψ,

Ω

ω.

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

*

Note that

σ

is written as

ς

at the end of a word, e.g.

σός

(=yours) and is called

final sigma. In Byzantine Greek you will also find Σ written as C.

*

Note that the Greek

P

is the English R (this is how it sounds). What in English is

P in Greek is

Π

.

*

Note that

H

in Greek is a vowel, corresponding to the English E. Don't confuse

it's small version

η

with the English n. The English n in Greek is

ν

.

*

Don't confuse

ν

with the English v. The English v in Greek is

β

.

There are two more sounds in older Greek, that became useless. The one

corresponded to the letter F and was called "Digamma", since it was like

two Γ. It sounded like 'wo'. The other was a sound like y in the word year.

There was no letter for this sound, but to refer to it today we use the latin

j

.

_____

An introductory note to pronunciation

There is much talk about how ancient Greek was actually pronounced

and there isn't nor can it be a definite conclusion. Most grammar books

complicate things by trying to determine subtle nuances that no one really

knows. In this course we follow modern Greek pronunciation because it is

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

easier than what some scholars

propose, it is how the New

Testament was pronounced, and

it is alive and certain. You can

also

read a discussion

at

Elpenor's Communities about

this subject, and a study about

the error of Erasmus and un-

greek pronunciations of Greek

.

It is known that the

abandonment of prosody

(complete in medieval and

modern Greek) started to happen

already from the end of the 5th c.

B.C. - something

Plato

didn't like

very much. Obviously, the reasons of this transformation, of this

subjugation of language's inherent music, is something worth studying.

Thinking was increasing its distance from language and preferred to lose

the certainty of whatever achieved in order to move towards unforeseen

realities. Essentially,

modern Greek pronunciation starts from Plato's time

;

we call it modern, not because it is young, but because it is still in use

today.

The Lord's Prayer (Pater Emon)

, narrated by Elli Lampeti

Modern Greek Audio Files (from 1 to 30 minute narrations)

Pronunciation (transliterated in English):

Transliteration is not the best way to describe how a word or a letter

sounds, but just a hint. Audio files should help you enough.

Letters followed by / indicate the accentuation, e.g. a/lpha means that the word

is stressed on "al".

The speaker beside each letter means that you can click on it to listen in Greek

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

(mp3 audio). If you place the player on some edge of the screen, you can let it

open to click on consecutive letters.

Recited for Elpenor by Yiannis Marangos

Α

α

(a/lfa)

Β

β

(vi/ta)

Γ

γ

(ga/mma

1

)

Δ

δ

(de/lta

2

)

Ε

ε

(e/psilon)

Ζ

ζ

(zi/ta)

Η

η

(i/ta)

Θ

θ

(thi/ta

3

)

Ι

ι

(yio/ta)

Κ

κ

(ka/ppa)

Λ

λ

(la/mda

4

)

Μ

µ

(mi)

Ν

ν

(ni)

Ξ

ξ

(xi)

Ο

ο

(o/mikron)

Π

π

(pi)

Ρ

ρ

(ro)

Σ

σς

(si/gma

5

)

Τ

τ

(taf)

Υ

υ

(y/psilon)

Φ

φ

(fi)

Χ

χ

(hi)

Ψ

ψ

(psi)

Ω

ω

(ome/ga

6

)

* Watch an excellent

Alphabet Movie

demonstrating how to write and

pronounce the Greek alphabet.

Cf.

The Lord's Prayer (Pater Emon)

,

narrated by Elli Lampeti

Modern Greek Audio Files (from 1 to 30

minute narrations)

_____________

1 g in ga/mma is not pronounced like g in go, but like w in "wide" -> wamma Two

γγ

or a

γκ

are pronounced sometimes like ng in anger, (with a hardly noticeable n

sound: ἀναγκάζω), sometimes they become a stronger n sound and a γ , like in

συγγραφεύς. There are more nuances than these, but we won't see them right now.

2 d in de/lta is not pronounced like d in door, but like th in "that" -> thelta

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

3 th in the/ta is not pronounced like th in that, but like th in "therapy"

4 see 2 above for the d

5 see 1 above for the g

6 see 1 above for the g

More about pronunciation:

Αα

sounds like A in the word

"Attach"

Ββ

like V in "Vigor"

Γγ

like W in "Wide"

Δδ

like Th in "That"

Eε

like E in "Egg"

Ζζ

like Z in "Ζero"

Ηη

like E in "Free"

(don't confuse this

letter with the English H or n)

Θθ

like Th in "Therapy"

Ιι

like I in "If"

Κκ

like K in "Kilo"

Λλ

like L in "Lake"

Nν

like N in "No"

(don't confuse the

Greek ν with the English v)

Ξξ

like X in "Matrix"

Οο

like O in "Oasis"

Ππ

like P in "Paradise"

Ρρ

like R in "Road"

(don't confuse this

letter with the English Pp)

Σσς

like S in "See"

Ττ

like T in "Table"

Υυ

like E in "Ego"

Φφ

like F in "Free"

Χχ

like H in "Here"

(don't confuse this

letter with the English Xx)

Ψψ

like PS in "Epson"

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

Μµ

like M in "Make"

Ωω

like O in "Orient"

Check also

below

- a Greek word for each letter

Practise extensively writing the letters and reading them aloud.

______________________________________

Groups of vowels and consonants

Here are the Greek letters divided in

vowels of long and/or short duration

and

7 kinds of consonants

:

Can be long or short:

Α

α,

Ι

ι,

Υ

υ

Smooth:

Κ

κ,

Π

π,

Τ

τ

Short:

Ε

ε,

Ο

ο

Rough:

Χ

χ,

Φ

φ,

Θ

θ

Long:

Η

η,

Ω

ω

Middle:

Β

β,

Γ

γ,

Δ

δ

Liquid:

Λ

λ,

Ρ

ρ

Nasal:

Μ

µ,

Ν

ν

Spirant:

Σ

σς

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

Double:

Ζ

ζ,

Ξ

ξ,

Ψ

ψ

Memorize this list, especially the duration of the vowels, because you will need it later

to understand the use of accentuation marks.

Note: Double consonants (ζ, ξ, ψ) are named so, because they were formed by the

absorption of two letters. You can see below their origin, not always as obvious as e.g.

in π + σ giving ψ.

ζ

comes from σ

+

δ (Ἀθήνασδε -> Ἀθήναζε) or from δ

+

j

ξ

comes from κ

+

σ, or γ

+

σ, or χ

+

σ

ψ

comes from π

+

σ, or β

+

σ, or φ

+

σ.

Diphthongs (two sounds/letters united)

There are eleven pairs of letters, that we call diphthongs (δίφθογγοι = δύο

φθόγγοι, two sounds). They sound like one letter. For the moment it suffices to

know that

generally diphthogs are long

.

The main diphthongs are 8:

αι, ει, οι, υι - αυ, ευ, ηυ, ου

There are also three improper diphthongs:

ᾳ, ῃ, ῳ

- the subscript line is the

second vowel of the diphthongs and is an

ι

(called iota subscript)

Note how the diphthongs are pronounced:

αι is pronounced like a long ε

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

ει, οι and υι are pronounced like η

αυ is pronounced like αβ or αφ

*

ευ is pronounced like εβ or εφ

*

ηυ is pronounced like ηβ or ηφ

*

ου is pronounced like 'oo' in the English 'too'

*

By forcing air between the lower lip as it rests against the upper teeth (as in English).

When you see a diphthong with a diaeresis on the second vowel (like the

German umlaut: αϊ, etc., you pronounce two distinct vowels.

Improper diphthongs sound like there was not a second vowel (the iota

subscript).

ᾳ, sounds like α

ῃ like η

ῳ like ω

Elpenor's Second Lesson in Greek (Homer)

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

Here is

A word for each letter

(You may want to come back here when you will have known Greek

enough to read

a sentence for each letter

- Gregory the Theologian's Alphabetical

Exhortation - without translation.)

Learn them and practise their pronunciation

ΑΓΓΕΛΙΑ

= ANNOUNCEMENT (ANGELI/A)

ΒΕΝΘΟΣ

= DEPTH (VE/NTHOS) - synonym: ΒΑΘΟΣ (VA/THOS)

ΓΥΜΝΟΣ

= NAKED (GYMNO/S)

ΔΑΚΡΥΑ

= TEARS (DA/KRYA)

ΕΧΩ

= I HAVE, I CONTROL (E/HO)

ΖΩΗ

= LIFE (ZOE/)

ΗΜΕΡΑ

= DAY, DAYLIGHT (IME/RA)

ΘΕΟΣ

= GOD (THEO/S)

ΙΑΧΩ

= I CRY (IA/HO)

ΚΕΦΑΛΗ

= HEAD (KEFALI/)

ΛΑΙΜΟΣ

= NECK (LEMO/S)

ΜΗΤΗΡ

= MOTHER (MI/TIR)

ΝΕΚΥΣ

= CORPSE (NE/KIS)

ΞΕΝΟΣ

= STRANGER (XE/NOS)

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

ΟΔΥΡΟΜΑΙ

= I WEEP (ODI/ROME)

ΠΡΟΣΩΠΟΝ

= FACE, PERSON (PRO/SOPON)

ΡΩΜΗ

= STRENGTH (RO/MI)

ΣΙΔΗΡΟΣ

= IRON - ARMOUR (SI/DIROS)

ΤΕΥΧΕΑ

= WEAPONS - VESSELS (TE/FHEA)

ΥΙΟΣ

= SON (YO/S)

ΦΗΜΙ

= I DECLARE, I SAY (FIMI/)

ΧΑΡΙΕΙΣ

= FULL OF GRACE (HARI/IS)

ΨΥΧΗ

= SOUL (PSYHI/)

ΩΔΗ

= ODE (ODI/)

* Transcribe the words above into small letters

The Lord's Prayer (Pater Emon)

, narrated by Elli Lampeti

Modern Greek Audio Files (from 1 to 30 minute narrations)

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

Elements of the history of Greek language

Greek belongs to the Indoeuropean languages, together with Sanskrit, Latin,

Slavic, German, etc. It was the language of Danaoi, Iones, Achaeoi - the Greek

races that inhabited Greece in 2.000 B.C. - and Dorieis (1.100 B.C.). Before them

there lived in Greece Pelasgoi, from whom the new language kept some

elements,

like names of places ending in -nthos, -ssos, -ttos (e.g. Ko/rinthos,

Lycabetto/s), names of Mediterranean plants, like elaia (olive tree), etc. In

later years very few foreign words were adopted by Greeks, some Semitic,

like kados (bucket), some Persian, like paradeisos (paradise) and some

Egyptian, like baris (boat).

It has been said that Greeks modified the

Phoenicean (north-semetic) alphabet at

about 1000-850 B.C.

[cf. James Joyce, Ulysses: "

KYRIOS

! Shining word! The

vowels the Semite and the Saxon know not."]

The 'discovery' of the vowels is

considered by linguists as a crucial turn in World history, yet recent research

tends to reject the whole 'phoenicean theory', since evidence has appeared that

the consonants also are of Greek origin.

Greek evolved into three main dialects, the Ionian-Attic, the Aeolian and the

Dorian. In these dialects, and mainly in the Attic, we have all of the Ancient

Greek literature and most of the Byzantine works. A fourth dialect, the Arcadian-

Cyprian, did not produce any important literature, neither the Linear B writing.

The first work of literature written in Greek is the work of

Homer

.

The Ionian dialect was spoken in the area of the Aegean sea including also the

coast of Asia Minor from Alikarnassos to Phokaea and the Ionian colonies,

excluding some Aegean islands like Rhode, Kos and Lesvos. Because of the

greatness of the Ionian culture, Ionian was spread to Aeolean and Dorean

regions.

Some of the features of the Ionian dialect are the turn of α το η (e.g.

µήτηρ instead of µάτηρ), uncontracted forms (like κινέω instead of κινῶ),

etc.

Homer

,

Hesiod

, Theognis and most of the older Greek poetry is written in Ionian

mixed with Aeolian elements, as well as some of the prose, like

Herodotus

'

history. In later periods some authors used it again, like Apollonius from Rhode

in the Hellenistic era or

St. Gregory the Theologian

in the 4th century A.D.

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

The Attic dialect is similar to Ionic with the differences we said,

mainly that it

maintains the letter α as a long vowel after ε, ι and ρ (e.g. Ionic ἁρµονίη in

Attic becomes ἁρµονία), it contracts two vowels (like in κινέω which

becomes κινῶ).

There is an older and a newer form of the Attic dialect with

minor differences between them. To the newer one belong authors who wrote

after 400 B.C. It is the dialect in which

tragedies

and the philosophical works of

Plato

and

Aristotle

are written.

Aeolic was spoken at the coast of the Asia Minor from north of Smyrna to

Hellespondus, Lesvos, Thessaly and Boiotia. We know this dialect mainly from

Sappho

and

Alcaeus

and mixed with other dialects in Homer and later poetry,

mostly in Pindar.

In Aeolic contracted verbs end in -µι (e.g. instead of φιλῶ

in Aeolic we have φίληµι). Words with two or more syllables are not

accented in the ultima (last syllable), e.g. ἄγαθος instead of ἀγαθός, θῦµος

instead of θυµός. Verbs ending in two liquid or nasal consonants (λ, ρ, µ,

ν) maintain these consonants instead of expanding the preceding vowel (e.

g. κτέννω instead of κτείνω). After liquids (λ, ρ) Aeolic uses ο instead of α

(e.g. βροχὺς instead of βραχύς).

Doric is the dialect of the south and western regions of Greece (Peloponnesos

excepting Arcadia, Crete, Sicelia, Kyrenaice and the islands of Melos, Thera,

Rhode, Kos, Karpathos, Kalymnos).

Doric maintains α instead of η (e.g. ἁµέρα instead of the Ionic ἡµέρη). It

keeps verb endings in -τι or -ντι (e.g. τίθητι, ἴσαντι, etc.), it forms verb

endings in -µες instead of -µεν (e.g. φέροµες instead of φέροµεν), future

tense accented in the ultima instead of the penultima (e.g. δειξῶ instead of

δείξω, παιξοῦµαι instead of παίξοµαι) and in passive voice θησῶ instead

of θήσοµαι (e.g. συναχθησῶ instead of συναχθήσοµαι).

Pure Doric did not produce important literary works.

With

Alexander the Great

and the expansion of Greek culture, Attic produced

the koine (common) dialect of the Hellenistic period, which came to be spoken or

understood by people from Spain to India. This dialect, the dialect of the

New

Testament

, is very close to the Attic, but easier.

Some of its features are the

formation of comparative adjectives in -τερος instead of -ίων, a decrease of

use of the optative mood, the abolishment of the dual number.

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

Modern Greek is in general more simplified than the Koine in its syntax and

grammar, but it has the same pronunciation, while being a little more difficult

because of a wide vocabulary and the use of grammatical and syntactical forms

of all the previous periods and dialects. However, anyone who knows some

ancient Greek dialect, can learn modern Greek just like learning another Greek

dialect.

RITTEN in one Greek dialect or

another there exists a massive

collection of important works, from the poems

of Homer and the philosophical works of Plato,

to the New Testament books, the Byzantine

works of the Christian Church, and the works

of modern Greek literature.

Although a great part of these has been and is

continuously being translated to many

languages, people all over the world keep

studying Greek in order to approach and enjoy

the genuine meaning of the texts. Cicero said of

Plato's Dialogues

, that if Zeus

were to speak, he would use their language. "When one returns to the Greek",

Oscar Wilde writes about New Testament Greek, "it is like going into a garden of

lilies out of some, narrow and dark house."

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

Elpenor's Second Lesson in Greek (Homer)

Some Exercises

Α.- Transliterate in English the following Greek words:

ΣA/ΡΜΑ (chasm, trash) sounds like: SA/RMA

ΚΟ/ΣΜΟΣ (world, beautiful order, ornament) sounds like: CO/SMOS

ΘΑ/ΛΑΣΣΑ (sea) sounds like:

ΑΣΤΡΑΠΗ/ (lightning) sounds like:

ΦΩΣ (light) sounds like:

ΧΑΡΑ/ (joy) sounds like:

Υ/ΨΟΣ (hight) sounds like:

ΧΩ/ΡΟΣ (space, place) sounds like:

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

Β.- Transliterate in Greek the following English words

TREE sounds like: ΤΡE

STUDY sounds like: ΣΤΑ/ΝΤΥ

PERFECT sounds like:

SPHERE sounds like:

ATTRACT sounds like:

HORIZON sounds like:

PHILOSOPHY sounds like:

POETIC sounds like:

VISION sounds like:

Γ.- Try to read aloud the following phrases:

ΘΕΟ/Σ ΗΝ Ο ΛΟ/ΓΟΣ

(Τhe Word was God -

John. 1.1

)

ΑΡΜΟΝΙ/Η ΑΦΑΝΗ/Σ ΦΑΝΕΡΗ/Σ ΚΡΕΙ/ΤΤΩΝ

(The invisible harmony is

superior to the visible -

Heraclitus, fr. 54

)

ΕΓΩ/ ΕΙΜΙ/ ΤΟ Α ΚΑΙ ΤΟ Ω, Η ΑΡΧΗ/ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΤΕ/ΛΟΣ

(I am the Alpha and

the Omega, the Beginning and the End -

Revelation, 21.6

)

ΟΥΔΕ/Ν ΑΝΘΡΩ/ΠΟΥ ΔΕΙΝΟ/ΤΕΡΟΝ ΠΕ/ΛΕΙ

(Nothing is more wonderful

and frightening than man - Sophocles,

Antigone 332-3

)

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Learning Greek - Lesson 1

Δ.- Answer the questions:

α) When was the phoenicean alphabet modified by the Greeks?

β) What is the older work of the Greek literature?

γ) What are the basic Greek dialects?

δ) In what dialect did Homer write?

ε) In what dialect did

Plato

write?

στ) In what dialect is New Testament written?

ζ) What is the main difference between Koine and modern Greek?

η) What is the main reason of learning Greek?

Some Important Greek Words

The Lord's Prayer (Pater Emon)

, narrated by Elli Lampeti

Modern Greek Audio Files (from 1 to 30 minute narrations)

2.

Next lesson (Homer)

Cf.

Homer

:

Achilles' Grief

,

Returning to Ithaca

,

The Underworld

Orphica

:

Everything was generated by Love

,

From man you became God

Plato:

Studying

Death

,

Ways to Hades

,

The Real World

,

Self-knowledge

,

Wisdom

,

Philosophy needs

eyesight

,

Lovers

,

A nature of wondrous beauty

,

A moving image of eternity

,

We are a

heavenly flower

,

Becoming like God

,

Birth in good and beauty

Virgil:

To return and

view the cheerful skies

Horace:

Be resigned to greatness

Ovid:

Achilles' death

Clement of Alexandria:

O the perfect child!

Origen:

You will find a divine

perception

Gregory the Theologian:

God with Gods is being united

,

Unity found its

http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/lessons/lesson1.asp (18 of 20) [3/11/2007 2:18:38 PM]

Learning Greek - Lesson 1

rest in Trinity

Basil the Great:

Glorifying the greatness of His deity

,

A likeness of

eternity

Gregory of Nyssa:

Everything shares in the Beautiful

Boethius:

His

mourning moved the depths of hell

Maximus Confessor:

Nothing is empty of the

Holy Spirit

Erigena:

By His seeing and running all things are made

Symeon the

New Theologian:

Becoming invisible and suddenly appearing

Meister Eckhart:

Entirely within, entirely without

Nicholas Cabasilas:

The old and the new Adam

Hoelderlin:

The God is near, and hard to grasp

,

Hyperion's song of destiny

Schiller:

A glorious humanity

Gogol:

We recognise in them the divine origin of man

(margin:

Keats, To Homer)

Emerson:

When the Gods come among men

Rilke:

Ein Wehn im

Gott

Heidegger:

Through a foundational poetic and noetic experience of Being

Helen Keller:

The length, breadth and sweep of heavens are mine!

Papatsonis:

Scheme

,

Hestia

,

Wisdom

,

In Rising Sound

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