Ancient Greek Pronounciation

On the very first contact with Ancient Greek, every student should

probably feel the need to follow a rigorous system of pronounciation.

With the first attempts of practicing conjugations, when trying to

remember, writing from memory without consulting the textbook, such

sequence as anthropos - anthropou - anthropo etc., he will probably ask

himself, "How to write anthropon? Should I use omega or omicron? There

must be both of them, but which one is first? Hmmm... if I knew how to

pronounce the two letters so that they be distinct from each other

phonetically, I would remember more easily how to employ them

correctly...

Various pronounciation systems are available

The German scholar J. Reuchlin (1445-1522) advocated the use of the

pronounciation system of the Greek language of his time. The

characteristics of this pronounciation system are mainly as follows.

, , , , , , are all pronounced alike: i

, are pronounced:

av, ev,

or

af, ef,

is pronounced: v

The rough spirit is completely neglected.

This system could only prove itself legitimate for periods much later

than the classical period. It contains inexplicable discrepancies between

writing and pronounciation.

Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) brought forward arguments against

such a pronounciation system, advocating a pronounciation system ad

litteram, assigning each alphabet sign a distinct sound. Erasmus was

against the modern Greek pronounciation system as applied to ancient

Greek, based on the following principles:

- it is illogical to have several signs for the same sound without

reasonable etimological motivation;

- texts engraved in stone by common people in ancient times rarely show

mistakes that could be attributed to confusions related to

pronounciation.

- there are grammar forms that are different from each other by signs

which would be pronounced, according to the reuchlinian system,

exactly the same way; the vocalic alternance with morphological role

would have no sense if, for instance, // would be pronounced

identically, i.e., 'i'. Example: = I was leaving; = I left.

- the way some Greek words were transliterated into Latin is also

supporting an ad litteram pronounciation system. (Ex: phoenix < =

red; aether < = air).

- Greek grammarians showed that compared with is as compared

to , i.e., = + ; = + .

Other systems have been proposed in the meantime; see for example

http://www.biblicalgreek.org/links/pronunciation.php and

http://www.letsreadgreek.com/Resources/greekntaudio.htm

What do I choose?

The pronounciation system that I propose here is based on the following

simple principles:

1. The phonetic system of modern Greek is employed to the extent that

this does not cause important difficulties or confusions.

2. The main 'witness' to appeal when judging the extent of applying the

modern Greek phonetics is the accentuation system of ancient Greek.

The way letters and combinations of letters are to be pronounced is described

below. In order to understand why some features of modern Greek phonetics

are maintained and some other are not, a parallel is made between the two

generations of this language ancient vs. modern.

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

http://www.biblicalgreek.org/links/pronunciation.phphttp://www.letsreadgreek.com/Resources/greekntaudio.htmalfa-gv.mp3alfa-gn.mp3

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

Diphtongs: , , ( not found in modern Greek).

Examples: , , , , , ,

, , (ancient Greek); ,

, , , , , ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); , (modern

Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

Combinaii: , , ,

Examples: , , , (ancient Greek);

, (modern Greek: only two of the four

combinations are found and they are pronounced alike)

(ancient Greek & modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

anatomh-gv.mp3atomos-gv.mp3amartia-gv.mp3anatomia-gn.mp3atomo-gn.mp3fainw-gv.mp3airetikos-gv.mp3augh-gv.mp3aurion-gv.mp3pauw-gv.mp3autos-gv.mp3nauphgeion-gv.mp3austhros-gv.mp3radios-gv.mp3fainomeno-gn.mp3airetikos-gn.mp3augh-gn.mp3aurio-gn.mp3pauw-gn.mp3autos-gn.mp3nauphgeio-gn.mp3austhros-gn.mp3bhta-gv.mp3bhta-gn.mp3biologos-gv.mp3bazw-gv.mp3biologia-gn.mp3bazo-gn.mp3gamma-gv.mp3gama-gn.mp3grammatizw-gv.mp3geouxos-gv.mp3grammatikh-gn.mp3geologia-gn.mp3aggelos-gv.mp3agkistron-gv.mp3tugxanw-gv.mp3faragc-gv.mp3agglika-gn.mp3idiosugkrasia-gn.mp3delta-gvn.mp3delfis-gv.mp3drakwn-gv.mp3delfini-gn.mp3drakos-gn.mp3eyilon-gv.mp3eyilon-gn.mp3

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

Diphtongs: ,

Examples: , , , , ,

, , , , (ancient

Greek); , , , , , ,

, , , (modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

Diphtongs: , (in ancient Greek only)

Examples: , ,

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

embreos-gv.mp3egw-gv.mp3eteros-gv.mp3embruo-gn.mp3egwisths-gn.mp3zeugion-gv.mp3neuron-gv.mp3euros-gv.mp3neurolalos-gv.mp3pneumonia-gv.mp3eutuxhs-gv.mp3euqeia-gv.mp3eukolos-gv.mp3euqanasia-gv.mp3qerapeutikos-gv.mp3zeugos-gn.mp3neuro-gn.mp3euros-gn.mp3neurologia-gn.mp3pneumonia-gn.mp3eutixws-gn.mp3euqeia-gn.mp3eukolos-gn.mp3euqanasia-gn.mp3qerapeutikos-gn.mp3zhta-gv.mp3zhta-gn.mp3zema-gv.mp3zwgrafos-gv.mp3zebra-gn.mp3zwlogia-gn.mp3hta-gv.mp3hta-gn.mp3hremos-gv.mp3erhmos-gv.mp3hdonh-gv.mp3hxw-gn.mp3hrwas-gn.mp3huergethsa-gv.mp3hulabhqhn-gv.mp3huchmenws-gv.mp3qhta-gv.mp3qhta-gn.mp3qeatron-gv.mp3qerapeia-gv.mp3qema-gn.mp3qerapeia-gn.mp3iwta-gv.mp3giwta-gn.mp3idiologia-gv.mp3isos-gv.mp3istoria-gv.mp3idea-gn.mp3istoria-gn.mp3

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); , (modern

Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

The combination is pronounced 'mp' in modern Greek is

pronounced 'b'.

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); ,

, , , (modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); , (modern

Greek)

The combination is pronounced 'nt' in modern Greek is

pronounced 'nd'.

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

kappa-gv.mp3kapa-gn.mp3kaqodos-gv.mp3kenos-gv.mp3kaqolikos-gn.mp3kentro-gn.mp3lambda-gv.mp3lamda-gn.mp3lampas-gv.mp3lukos-gv.mp3lampa-gn.mp3liwno-gn.mp3mu-gv.mp3mi-gn.mp3marsippos-gv.mp3mageia-gv.mp3martios-gn.mp3mageia-gn.mp3ampelos-gv.mp3emporia-gv.mp3empaqeia-gv.mp3ampeli-gn.mp3emporia-gn.mp3empirikos-gn.mp3mpanana-gn.mp3mpira-gn.mp3nu-gv.mp3ni-gn.mp3naus-gv.mp3ennea-gv.mp3narkissos-gn.mp3ennia-gn.mp3antwnumia-gv.mp3fantasia-gv.mp3antwnumo-gn.mp3fantasia-gn.mp3

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

Diphtongs: ,

Examples: , , ,

(ancient Greek); , , ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

The combination is pronounced rhr not found in modern Greek.

Examples: ,

,

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

ci-gv.mp3ci-gn.mp3culon-gv.mp3culotomia-gv.mp3cenos-gn.mp3cenofobia-gn.mp3omicron-gv.mp3omicron-gn.mp3orqografos-gv.mp3oros-gv.mp3oplon-gv.mp3orqodocos-gn.mp3orxhstra-gn.mp3oikomaxia-gv.mp3oikonomia-gv.mp3entousiasmos-gv.mp3akoustikos-gv.mp3oikologia-gn.mp3oikonomia-gn.mp3enqousiasmos-gn.mp3akoustikos-gn.mp3pi-gv.mp3pi-gn.mp3paidia-gv.mp3paidagwgia-gv.mp3pediatros-gn.mp3paidagwgos-gn.mp3rw-gv.mp3ro-gn.mp3aristos-gv.mp3rhtwr-gv.mp3radios-gv.mp3rhtoras-gn.mp3radio-gn.mp3parrhsia-gv.mp3arraghs-gv.mp3sigma-gvn.mp3sigma-gvn.mp3

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

Diphtong is pronounced 'i' in modern Greek is pronounced

like .

Examples: , (ancient Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , (ancient Greek & modern Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); , (modern

Greek)

(ancient Greek); (modern Greek)

Examples: , , (ancient Greek); ,

(modern Greek)

sofisths-gv.mp3swthria-gv.mp3sofia-gn.mp3septembrios-gn.mp3tau-gv.mp3tau-gn.mp3turannos-gv.mp3trauma-gv.mp3turannos-gn.mp3trauma-gn.mp3uyilon-gv.mp3uyilon-gn.mp3umnos-gv.mp3ugieia-gv.mp3astu-gv.mp3umnos-gn.mp3ugieinh-gn.mp3orguia-gv.mp3uios-gv.mp3fi-gv.mp3fi-gn.mp3filosofia-gvn