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 in Classical Greek law code of Gortyn 5 th century BC the upper-case letters represent the versions used in stone-cut inscriptions

An inscription in Classical Greek papyrus of the poet Archilochus P.Oxy. LXIX 4708: see the upper-case letters were also used in early writing on papyrus

page of medieval manuscript of Euripides’ Hekabe the lower-case letters represent the hand-writing from later manuscripts

From manuscript to modern printed edition

modern printed editions began as reproductions of manuscripts, so they retain this use of the lower-case letters modern printed edition of Euripides’ 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. 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