# Pronunciation of Biblical Greek



## YXU (Apr 24, 2010)

I am seeking some help to have a correct understanding on the pronunciation of Biblical Greek. I find it is difficult for me to proceed further without a certain understanding of the correct pronunciation. I have made a list of the letters or diphthongs that I am not certain about:

B: is it like English "b" or "v"?
Δ: is it like English "d" or like "th" in the word "there" and "these"?
H: is it like English "ay" in the word "hay" and "lay" or like "e" in the word "bet" and "let", or like "i" in the word "lid" and "sit"?
Π: is it like English "p" or "b"?
T: is it like English "t" or "d"?
Y: is it like French "u" in the word "du", or like English "oo" in "book" and "cook", or like English "ee" in the word "meet" and "seed"?
X: is it like English "ch" in "chaos" and "school" or something else?
Ω: is it like English "o" in "go" or like "ore" in "sore" and "bore"?
AI: is it like English "ai" in "aisle" or like English "e" in "met"?


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## greenbaggins (Apr 24, 2010)

B is "b" as in boy. Delta is "d" as in "dirt." H is "ay" as in "hay." Pi is "p" as in "pitcher." T is just like English "t." Y is "oo" as in "Pooh." X is "ch" as in chaos, although it is somewhat softer, approaching Scottish "loch" or German "Bach." Omega is "o" as in "go." AI is "ai" as in "aisle" (although modern Greek is "e" as in "met").


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## toddpedlar (Apr 24, 2010)

greenbaggins said:


> B is "b" as in boy. Delta is "d" as in "dirt." H is "ay" as in "hay." Pi is "p" as in "pitcher." T is just like English "t." Y is "oo" as in "Pooh." X is "ch" as in chaos, although it is somewhat softer, approaching Scottish "loch" or German "Bach."



Of course now I'll derail the thread... all I can hear now, thanks to you, Lane, is Radar O'Reilly saying "Ah, Bach..."



> Omega is "o" as in "go." AI is "ai" as in "aisle" (although modern Greek is "e" as in "met").


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## CharlieJ (Apr 24, 2010)

There are actually multiple accepted pronunciations of biblical Greek. If you are asking, "How was it pronounced in that day?" the answer is found (pretty close anyway) in Randall Buth's reconstructed phonemic Koine. If you are asking how Greek is pronounced now, there are two more options. Greek-speakers use Modern Greek, while most academic programs use Erasmian. It is worth noting that of all the pronunciation systems, Erasmian is the farthest from how Koine was originally pronounced.

Here is a chart of the different pronunciations: Greek Pronunciation

I use Buth's phonemic Koine pronunciation. Here is a link to a paper explaining and defending it: http://biblicalulpan.org/PDF Files/PRONSYS1_US.pdf

Here is an audio link of Buth reading 1 John 1: http://www.biblicalulpan.org/Sound_files/1John1.MP3


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## YXU (Apr 24, 2010)

CharlieJ said:


> There are actually multiple accepted pronunciations of biblical Greek. If you are asking, "How was it pronounced in that day?" the answer is found (pretty close anyway) in Randall Buth's reconstructed phonemic Koine. If you are asking how Greek is pronounced now, there are two more options. Greek-speakers use Modern Greek, while most academic programs use Erasmian. It is worth noting that of all the pronunciation systems, Erasmian is the farthest from how Koine was originally pronounced.
> 
> Here is a chart of the different pronunciations: Greek Pronunciation
> 
> ...


 
Thanks for your valuable resources. I found a place on the internet that offers free download of audio bible called "greeklatinaudio or bible", the reading is very fast, and the pronunciation is different than what I have on my textbook.


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## DMcFadden (Apr 24, 2010)

CharlieJ said:


> There are actually multiple accepted pronunciations of biblical Greek. If you are asking, "How was it pronounced in that day?" the answer is found (pretty close anyway) in Randall Buth's reconstructed phonemic Koine. If you are asking how Greek is pronounced now, there are two more options. Greek-speakers use Modern Greek, while most academic programs use Erasmian. It is worth noting that of all the pronunciation systems, Erasmian is the farthest from how Koine was originally pronounced.
> 
> Here is a chart of the different pronunciations: Greek Pronunciation
> 
> ...


 
Try pronouncing Greek in Greece according to the artificial Erasmian system and you will quickly discover that EVERYone will look at you as an ignorant barbarian. One of the cool features of Logos is that it will pronounce every Greek word in either Erasmian or modern Greek. This can be a valuable tool. In L4, you can pull up a lexical list of words and have the computer pronounce each one in order if you want to do that kind of thing. Frankly, I think that it is more interesting watching grass grow, but then again I'm not a true language aficianado. Close enough is good enough for me. Besides, most people in church who have ever heard "Greek" pronounced, heard it according to the Erasmian system under which their pastors were taught Greek.


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## CharlieJ (Apr 25, 2010)

Dennis, I know a community of people who get together and speak Koine, so the pronunciation is a bit more relevant for them. In Melanchthon's time, they taught Greek and Latin orally, and being able to speak (to some extent) in both was necessary for university admission. There is right now a small but influential international movement to return Greek and Latin to "living language" status, at least for the people who are supposedly studying them. So, I've been at the periphery of this group for a while and am in general sympathy with their goals. I understand that for many people, the issue is pretty much irrelevant.


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