(ebook-pdf) Learn Greek Lesson 02.pdf

The Greek Alphabet

Sight and Sounds of the Greek Letters (Module B)

The Letters and Pronunciation of the Greek Alphabet

Phonology (Part 2)

Lesson Two Overview

§2.0 Introduction, 29

§2.1 The Ten Similar Letters, 30

§2.2 The Six Deceptive Greek Letters, 32

§2.3 The Nine Different Greek Letters, 35

§2.4 History of the Greek Alphabet, 40

§2.5 The Greek Alphabet Revisited, 46

Study Guide, 51

§2.0 Introduction

Lesson One introduced the twenty-four letters of the Greek alphabet. Building on

this foundation, Lesson Two continues with the sight and sounds of the Greek

letters by merging simple vowel-consonant and consonant-vowel combinations

together into syllables, the building blocks for learning Greek phonics.

The focus of Lesson Two examines the similarities and dissimilarities between

the Greek and English alphabetical letters and their phonemes to aid between

what is known (English) and what is new (Greek).

Almost without exception, introductory Greek grammars launch students

immediately into grammar and vocabulary without first firmly grounding them in

the Greek phonemic system. This is appropriate since they assume a Greek

teacher will be present while the grammar is being presented, thereby helping

with syllable and word pronunciation. However, there is little help in these

introductory grammars for those who are going at it alone, or a small group who

are learning New Testament Greek without the aid of a teachers pronunciation.

The introductory lessons of this grammar go to great lengths to present a full-

orbed pronunciation of the Erasmian Greek phonemic system. Some may think

that the duration in which it is presented belabors it, especially those who have

had previous contact with someone who has taught them the Erasmian Greek

pronunciation system. If this is the case, then the following few lessons may be

unnecessary. However, for those who are new to the Greek language will

welcome this help, which will prepare them to read Greek, and not simply to

translate it into their native language.

' Dr. William D. Ramey ¤ Phonology (Part 2) InTheBeginning.org

LESSON 2: The Greek Alphabet Page 30

Sight and Sounds of the Greek Letters (Module B)

The student needs to saturate himself with the sounds of the Greek language by

using the MP3 audio files that accompany every lesson. By doing so, he is

immersed in the language, by hearing, reading, and rereading Greek words and

sentences. This is different from what a word or a sentence might mean. This is

not what is important now; but an awareness of how Greek letters and words

sound like is. This approach is similar with how a young child is at first engulfed

in a sea of meaningless noise, from which gradually they learn to detect and

recognize meaningful patterns and combinations of sounds as words.

§2.1 The Ten Similar Letters

Ten of the twenty-four small Greek letters are easily recognizable because they

are very close in appearance to their English counterparts. These letters are:

English letters:

a b d e i k o s t u

Greek letters: ` 1 a c d h 2 j n i 3 s 4 t 5

Some important differences between these letters are:

1. The ` ( alpha ) should be written as a figure 8 laid on its side and opened

on the right.

2. The Greek letter h ( ita ) is never dotted.

3. Final sigma ( i ) does not sit on the line like the English s. The final curve

crosses and drops down below the line.

4. The Greek letter s ( tau ) is never crossed below the top of the vertical line

like the English t.

5. Upslon and n may be easily confused when written. Form upslon with a

rounded bottom and right straight upward stroke. The upper case should

not be confused with the English upper case "Y".

We begin with these letters because they look similar in appearance; however,

caution needs to be exercised because they are not exactly identical. It is

important not to write Greek letters to make them look like their English

counterparts, for the respective lines above represent two different alphabets for

two different languages. This will help not to fall into the trap of mistakenly

pronouncing a Greek alphabetical letter as if it was an English alphabetical letter

( i.e. , saying K, k [kay] for kappa [ J , j ], or T, t [tE] for tau [ S , s ]).

' Dr. William D. Ramey ¤ Phonology (Part 2) InTheBeginning.org

LESSON 2: The Greek Alphabet Page 31

Sight and Sounds of the Greek Letters (Module B)

Practice saying these letters aloud in different combinations with the aid of the

drill below. Only the above ten similar Greek-English letters are used. Multi-

syllable words are divided for easier identification. If you wish to hear the

instructors pronunciation, click on the audio link, Hear beside each row of

Greek syllables. The variable vowels ( ` , h , t ) may be long or short. Follow the

example of the instructor for proper pronunciation.

Hear ` (short) , `c, c`c, `s, a`s, `shj

( `-shj )

Hear d, dj, cd, cds, dc, cdc, ads

Hear h (short) , hc, chc, ahs, ahc, jhi

Hear n, ns, cns, ani, nc, ana, jnc

Hear t (short) , stj, jtj, jti, atj

Hear c `s, cdj, cdj`, ahj, cns, j`jh`

( cd-j` ) ( j`-jh-` )

Hear Jhi, jhs, j`s, a`c, `i, j`s`

( j`-s` )

Hear j`jni, stsni, a`sni, snsd

( j`-jni ) ( st-sni ) ( a`-sni ) ( sn-sd )

Hear chj, hs, `s, s`c, njs, jns

Hear `i, a`s, s`, c`, chc`j, cdc`j

( ch-c`j ) ( cd-c`j )

Hear jns, s`j, sni, `aa`, @ah`

( `a-a` ) ( @-ah-` )

Hear `chjh`, jtsni, ch`, chi, jshrhi

( jsh-rhi )

' Dr. William D. Ramey ¤ Phonology (Part 2) InTheBeginning.org

( `-ch-jh-` ) ( jt-sni ) ( ch-` )

LESSON 2: The Greek Alphabet Page 32

Sight and Sounds of the Greek Letters (Module B)

§2.2 The Six Deceptive Greek Letters

Six lower case Greek letters (four consonants and two vowels) appear to be

identical to English letters, but their appearance is very deceptive. These letters

often confuse beginning Greek students, and therefore need to be carefully

distinguished. These deceptive Greek letters are gamma ( f ), ta ( g ), nu ( m ),

rh ( q ), ch ( w ), and mega ( v ). Their English look-alikes are also displayed in

the chart below.

Greek: f 1 g 2 m 3 q 4 w 5 v 6

English:

x w

1. The Greek letter, gamma ( f ), looks like the English letter y.

2. The Greek letter, ta ( g ), looks like the English letter n.

3. The Greek letter, n ( m ), looks like the English letter v.

4. The Greek letter, rh ( q ), looks like the English letter p.

5. The Greek letter, ch ( w ), looks like the English letter x.

6. The Greek letter, mega ( v ), looks like the English letter w.

Below, each of the six lower case deceptive letters is examined separately.

Special attention should be given to the proper pronunciation of these letters so

that they may not be confused with their English look-alikes.

§2.2.1 GAMMA Ff

The lower case Greek letter, gamma ( f , capital letter, F ), is not to be confused

with the English y. F , f is pronounced as the hard g as in g o. It is never

pronounced like the soft g as in gin. Read the following syllables and words

aloud as many times as necessary to be able to recognize the Greek

alphabetical letter and its associated phoneme.

Hear f, fns, fhs, c`f, a`f, fds, `fdm

Hear ftjni, f`a, fda, chf, fd, ft, df

' Dr. William D. Ramey ¤ Phonology (Part 2) InTheBeginning.org

FFf

( ft-jni )

LESSON 2: The Greek Alphabet Page 33

Sight and Sounds of the Greek Letters (Module B)

§2.2.2 TA Gg

The lower case Greek letter, ta ( g , capital letter, G ), does not correspond to the

English n, but pronounced like the a in g a te. Furthermore, its upper case

letter ( G ) must not be confused with the English capital letter of h, H. Read

the following syllables and words aloud as many times as necessary to be able to

recognize the Greek alphabetical letter and its associated phoneme.

Hear g, gs`, cg, `cg, gcg, fg, fngi

( g-s` )

( `-cg )

( g-cg ) ( fn-gi )

Hear G, Gs`, chjg, `jng, gf, gs, sg

Hear gi, sgi, sgm, j`jg, gsd, gsh, sgcd

§2.2.3 N Mm

( j`-jg ) ( g-sd ) ( g-sh ) ( sg-cd )

The lower case Greek letter, n ( m , capital letter, M ), does not correspond to the

English v, but is pronounced like the n as in i n . A Greek alphabetical letter

does not correspond to the English letter v. Read the following syllables and

words aloud as many times as necessary to be able to recognize the Greek

alphabetical letter and its associated phoneme.

Hear mt, mtm, dm, sdm, `m`, `mdagm, chdagm

( `-m` ) ( `-md-agm ) ( ch-d-agm )

Hear `fdm, m`ni, mdni, s`mg, jhcnm, jdmg

( `-fdm ) ( m`-ni ) ( md-ni ) ( s`-mg ) ( jh-cnm ) ( jd-mg )

Hear fdm, fdmm`, mtjs`, mhjg, fdmg, a`m

Hear fgm, fdmni, nmni, ftmg, sgm

' Dr. William D. Ramey ¤ Phonology (Part 2) InTheBeginning.org

GGg

( G-s` ) ( ch-jg ) ( `-jn-g )

MMm

( fdm-m` ) ( mt-js` ) ( mh-jg ) ( fd-mg )

( fd-mni ) ( n-mni ) ( ft-mg )

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