ELEMENTARY GREEK

GREK 1001

M-Th 8:40-9:30

***

ELEMENTARY GREEK

Writing the Greek alphabet

ELEMENTARY GREEK

• Greek has twenty-four letters.– upper-case:

Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Φ Υ Χ Ψ Ω

– lower-case:

α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ σ ς τ φ υ χ ψ ω

An inscription inClassical Greek

law code of Gortyn5th century BC

the upper-case lettersrepresent the versions used

in stone-cut inscriptions

An inscription inClassical Greek

papyrus of the poet Archilochus P.Oxy. LXIX 4708: see http://www.papyrology.ox.ac.uk

the upper-case letterswere also used in early

writing on papyrus

page of medieval manuscript ofEuripides’ Hekabe

the lower-case lettersrepresent the

hand-writing fromlater manuscripts

From manuscript to modern printed edition

modern printed editionsbegan as reproductionsof manuscripts, so they

retain this use ofthe lower-case letters

modern printed edition ofEuripides’ Hekabe

ELEMENTARY GREEK

We use lower-case letters normally. Use upper-case letters for only two reasons:

• the first letter of a proper name (person, place, κτλ)

• the first letter of a direct quotation

κτλ = Greek for “etc” = “and the rest, and so on”

ELEMENTARY GREEK

Imagine if English were printed in a cursive script all the time.

Imagine if English were printed in a cursive script all the time.

This is why printed Greek texts can look like chicken scratch, but once you know the alphabet, it is just like reading someone’s handwriting.

Α α “alpha” = “ah” = A a

letter name sound English

Β β “beta” = “b” = B b

letter name sound English

Γ γ “gamma”= “g” = G g

letter name sound English

Δ δ “delta” = “d” = D d

letter name sound English

Ε ε “epsilon” = “eh” = E e

letter name sound English

Ζ ζ “zeta” = “z” = Z z

letter name sound English

Η η “eta” = “ay” = E e

letter name sound English

Θ θ “theta” = “th” = Th th

letter name sound English

Ι ι “iota” = “ih” = I i

letter name sound English

Κ κ “kappa” = “k” = C c

K k

letter name sound English

(Latin) or

Λ λ “lambda” = “l” = L l

letter name sound English

Μ μ “mu” = “m” = M m

letter name sound English

Ν ν “nu” = “n” = N n

letter name sound English

Ξ ξ “xi” = “ks” = X x

letter name sound English

Ο ο “omicron” = “o” = O o

letter name sound English

Π π “pi” = “p” = P p

letter name sound English

Ρ ρ “rho” = “r” = R r

letter name sound English

Σ σ ς “sigma” = “s” = S s

use ς only at the end of words(σ is a cursive formed designed to continue into the next letter; at the end of the word, this link is unnecessary)

letter name sound English

Τ τ “tau” = “t” = T t

letter name sound English

Υ υ “upsilon” = “u” = Y y

letter name sound English

Φ φ “phi” = “f” = Ph ph

letter name sound English

Χ χ “chi” = “kh” = Ch ch

Kh kh

letter name sound English

(Latin) or

Ψ ψ “psi” = “ps” = Ps ps

letter name sound English

Ω ω “omega” = “oh” = O o

letter name sound English

Sing the Greek alphabet to“Itsy Bitsy Spider”!

Sing the Greek alphabet to“Frère Jacques”!

ELEMENTARY GREEK

for tomorrow (Wednesday, August 24, 2005):

• Quiz: ***

• Look over the sounds and diacritical marks in Shelmerdine (pp. 2-3) or “Alphabet Sounds” in Moodle