GREEK PRONUNCIATION 2 (Phonetics)
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2024
- CORRECTION: the dative plural misspelled τοῖς ὀφειλέτες in verse 12 of The Lord’s Prayer at the end of this video should read τοῖς ὀφειλέταις. New Website address: www.Greeklinguistics.net -PZ
Greek alphabet, sounds, and listening and reading exercises according to the historical Greek pronunciation (HGP). Music by songwriter Panos Zachariou.
This video is based on parts of a Workbook and sound CD titled,
READING AND PRONOUNCING BIBLICAL GREEK Vol. II: ORTHOGRAPHY AND PHONETICS (by Philemon Zachariou, PhD).
Visit www.Greeklinguistics.net or contact the author at NTGreek@att.net.
See also the video, GREEK PRONUNCIATION 1 (Historical Development - Revised) at:
• Video
or the older (and longer) version of the same at:
• GREEK PRONUNCIATION 1 ...
Note:
The spelling errors we see in private classical inscriptions are repeated in the numerous Hellenistic and Byzantine papyrical records as well as in modern writings by the less literate private citizens. This unbroken 2,500-year-old record of misspellings, judged by the same standard-the same 24-letter alphabet and orthography-is the strongest evidence we have of the development of the historical sounds of Greek. This record helps us follow the phonemic pronunciation of mainstream Greek that prevailed through the centuries over all other peripheral pronunciations and evolved into what it is today. Neohellenic (aka "Modern" Greek) therefore preserves the still-living historical sounds with a pronunciation that is real, consistent, and euphonic. As the direct descendant of Κοινή, Neohellenic is naturally closer to the pronunciation of the first Greek-speaking Christians than any "reconstructed" or other artificial pronunciation of Greek. -PZ
Thank you so much for teaching us the correct way, unlike some videos with the WRONG English pronunciation. You are AWESOME!!!!
My pleasure!
Way above the other courses on YT! This is awesome! Thank you.
Very magnanimous of you. Thank you! -PZ
Since a spanish perspective is a lot more difficult English phonetics than greek. Greek is tremendous clear.
Yours is the most thorough, complete, accurate and scholarly presentation (excellent lecture) one could ask for. It's exactly what I was looking for and far more than I even hoped for. I am indebted to you.
Thank you, William, for sharing such valuable thoughts! -PZ
This is a blessing gift for me as a beginner to learn Greek, it is very useful teaching how to pronounce in the correct way! You are awesome! 🙏
That is wonderful to hear! I wish many more viewers will echo your response. Thank you! -PZ
@@PhilemonZachariou Echoed! I have started and stopped over the years to learn Koine to study the New Testament. These videos really help me. These are really well done. I had a friend from Greece with a degree in ancient Greek and she was shocked to hear the Erasmian way. She taught me modern Greek, but I haven't seen her in years. And I have tried to practice with modern Greek over the years, but it's hard when it's on your own. With this video, my son and I are learning the correct placement of accents to pronounce correctly. Also, we really enjoyed your HISTORICAL GREEK PRONUNCIATION vs. ERASMIAN (Abridged)! Wow. Very convincing. We feel very comfortable we are on the right track.
That is a fascinating story. Thank you for sharing. if possible, listen to Greek news on Greek TV and/or in RUclips videos. Thank you for sharing. -PZ
I am a new student of Biblical/Liturgical Greek and have been a bit overwhelmed by the competing systems of pronunciation. I finally decided it was best to learn with modern Greek pronunciation, and as sources seem to be limited your video has been a real blessing. It has been very encouraging as I begin this journey, so thank you!
Dear Matt, May you succeed in your pursuit of NT Greek. Following the “Modern” Greek pronunciation is a good decision to start with. Please let me know if I can be of assistance regarding Greek in general or NT Greek in specific. -PZ (NTGreek@att.net)
This is the real sound of greek. Finally someone is trying to save you from erasmian ir whatever fake pronounciation
Thank you! -PZ
Exactly what I've been looking for after studying Erasmian Gk pronunciation during seminary days. Thanks!
Dear C. Godfrey, Thank you for your comment. I am delighted to add that a book is being published by Wipf and Stock Publishers titled, Reading and Pronouncing Biblical Greek: Historical Pronunciation versus Erasmian. Go to my website, www.Greeklinguistics.net, for details. -PZ
@@PhilemonZachariou Thank you. I will check out the book!
Thank you so much! I'm from Brazil, and this video it's so great to my knowlegde in greek. I loved it! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
That is good news, my friend. Thank you! -PZ
Thank you Sir for the posted videos.Very clear and easy to understand.My desire is to read the New Testament in Greek.I am from India.
You are welcome, my friend! -PZ
Ahhhh yes I see where it comes from now and I remember that rule! Wow thanks for enlighten me on that. Yes this video really taught me a lot... I hope that there will be more videos in the future to see! Great work in explaining Dr.
Thank you so much for this thorough guide for pronouncing greek. It is incredibly helpful!
Melodious lyrics, friend, your comments are. You are most welcome.
I watched it several times to make sure I had it down. I did not like the textbook way of pronouncing, so this was a blessing! I feel like I can read Greek quickly and naturally!
I am encouraged. Thank you.
Yeni ahit metnini okumak için yunanca öğrenmeye çalışıyorum. Çok güzel ve çok net anlatıyorsunuz. Teşekkürler.
May you succeed in your endeavors!! -PZ
This video shows how Greek is read and pronounced in Athens today and reflects quite closely how it was read and pronounced in Athens also during biblical times. Technically, there is no such a thing as "modern" Greek pronunciation because today's phonemic Greek sounds are traceable to antiquity. A more fitting name is "Historical Greek Pronunciation" (HGP), a phonological system that can be applied to Greek diachronically.
God bless, brother. Thanks for the lessons. 🙏. I want to be able to read the New Testament in its original text. Also studying Hebrew on my own. Thank you again.
I've just started to learn this beautiful language and this video has taught me so much. The T sound was easy as I thought of the English word of Tough and that made it easier. I am having a harder time with the Chi sound but so far your video has made things easier for me. Thank you.
G Zee Good news, friend. Thanks!
❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you kindly! -PZ
This video is fantastic! It's 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘺 HELPFUL for someone just at the beginning stages of learning Koine Greek! I'm a new learner and listen to it often to keep reinforcing the proper pronunciation. Thank you for this excellent learning tool!
Thank you, Randy, for your good and encouraging words. --PZ
As a fellow Greek... This leacturer is pronouncing correctly. I feel sad I have to point this out.. As the majority of youtube 'lecturers' especially of American/English heritage, are indeed not only pronouncing things wrong (which is ok) but what is concerning, is they are making videos teaching the pronounciations wrong.
Stick with Zachariou though. This is the correct pronounciation.
Thanks to technology, there is a rapidly-spreading awareness of the evidence that Neohellenic ("Modern" Greek) sounds very much like the Κοινή [kini] "Koine" of the New Testament times. -PZ
Good advice, friend! -PZ
You know, Kep, I have to agree with you fully. As most of us recognize, modern Internet technology can indeed be an absolutely wonderful tool, allowing helpful, useful, TRUE things to be taught and widely disseminated. Though sadly, the opposite is also true: any amateur who has access to the Web can post a video or article and present themselves as an "expert" when in reality they may only possess a mere smattering of superficial knowledge about a given subject. The ability to distribute incorrect information in the guise of legitimate knowledge is becoming endemic now in the Digital Age.
This video is wonderful because it accurately demonstrates Greek pronunciation the way Greeks pronounce it. Unfortunately, many (if not most) of the videos out there feature all sorts of pronunciation errors, especially in regard to vowel sounds. Thank you so much!!
Your genuine expression is very much appreciated, dear David. -PZ
Gracias profesor, por esta clase de pronunciación en griego.
Gracias tambien, mi amigo! -PZ
This has been very helpful in enabling me to break a 40 year Erasmian habit. Your word charts along with a variety of phonetic patterns and color codes for voiced and unvoiced sounds are extremely useful. I start by keeping the sound off and sounding the words myself, then listen to your pronunciation followed again by myself. Or if needed, I replay your word pronunciation again and again until I can automatize the sound/symbol pattern.
Thank you, friend, for taking the time to share. Your approach is the way to go! And you are not alone in making this switch in the pronunciation of NT Greek. Many wonderful people-students, scholars, ministers-are doing likewise. The move is a sign of a desire to get closer to the NT scriptures holistically, i.e., not just with your eyes, but also orally and acoustically and with all else that this rational decision may entail. Remain blessed! -PZ
Outstanding indeed from a very slow learner😀
And you did goid. Erasmian pronunciation is something that never really existed. Just a fiction of whoever invented it out of nowhere. In this video, we listed to the real sound of greek. It has changed in a minimum way since the bible was written.👍👍
Amazing pronunciations. I have gotten the Greek alphabet pronunciations all wrong learning from non-native speakers. Thanks for these lectures. The first batch of words are good words related to Christianity, agapi is the word Jesus used three times to ask Peter after His resurrection to reaffirm Peter after his three denials. God bless and thank you. 🙏
Thank you for sharing your positive thoughts. -PZ
Thank you so much for your excellent books and videos. They are tremendously helpful.
Thank you, Dave. Your feedback is received with gratitude. -PZ
Thanks for making this available to learn how The correct reading of NT in Greek sounds
Dear James, I am glad that you found the video helpful, and thank you for your kind comments! -PZ
Μπραβο!! Επιτελους να παρουμε την γλωσσα μας πισω απο ολους αυτους που την κακοποιουν, και της αλλαζουν το νοημα απο τις λεξεις.👍🙏🏻
Ευχαριστώ θερμά. -ΦΖ
this was helpful and much more than thought it would be thank you very much a lot of great key words and combos , so much packed into 24 min. it flew by
+rymskindeep Thank you!
Finally someone who actually pronounces greek correctly. Everyone in the internet are pretending to know greek and usually are confusing the rest that want to learn.
This is not the ancient Greek pronunciation
I understand your strife, however I urge you to think about this.
In Sanskrit, pronunciation is absolutely essential, because it is the sound which holds the power of the word. Such that in mantras, hearing the sound is the method of action.
But in prayer it is not the sound, but the meaning that we ascribe importance to; that we should put our hearts into god.
Easy Greek, who is a Greek native, in his video on pronunciation, points out that the koine Greek, appropriately named, is a lingua franca, and like English which is the modern Lingua Franca of the world, has therefore probably no standard pronunciation but varies according to the location.
Just like there are variations in the American, Indian, Australian, European, African varieties of English pronunciation; the same is true in koine Greek, and it is truly not the sound, but the meaning we are after here. Otherwise, if we ascribe too much importance to the perfection of its pronunciation, we are coming dangerously close to the religion of pagans which is superficial, although beautiful on that surface. ❤️🔥☦️
But I do relate to your struggle also. Some pronunciation are distracting they are a bit silly ;)
God bless you in Jesus name friend
Thanks so much for your teaching! It is incredibly helpful for a beginner like me! May God bless you!
You are so welcome! -PZ
13:45 sounds like another word in Spanish, totally different!! ("He or she did 'something' in the toilette": that verb in 3rd person singular, Simple Past). 😂 Many times this happens comparing different languages. Amazing! Thanks for the video!! How different it is from the old Greek (some phonemes for some of the letters!!)
Many thanks, learning koine Greek using standard western method. Good to hear a Greek pronuction.
Thank you! -PZ
Switching from Erasmian to “modern”, very helpful. Thanks!
A wise move! -PZ
Philemon Zachariou, I’m sure you address this somewhere but should I ignore the rough breathing marks with “modern” pronunciation?
Definitely. Greek has no aspiration whatsoever. -PZ
Very clear teaching and will try to get your book through my son who is in the USA.I feel it is a must-have-book.
Thank you. Your feedback would be appreciated. Warm regards.
So helpful. Thank you so much! Our Lord Jesus bless you, sir.
Σ' ευχαριστῶ - Thank you!
Very helpful, thanks!!
Thanks for this video it has taught me quite a lot. You are a true gem of a teacher.
JONATHAN KISER Your words are encouraging. Thank you, too.
thank you so much!!!!! It's exactly what I was looking for!!!! After this video, I can improve my reading in Greek
Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts on this video. Thank you and all the others who have done likewise. -PZ
I would really appreciate if you watch and comment my 2-min video about Greek ruclips.net/video/qTaHBmh2Lt0/видео.html
Wow! Fantastic! Blessed and phenomenal Mr. Philemon!
I would have thought aspirated H is important. That's why we have the word ηρος and not In fact unaspirated ερω means I will speak, while aspirated ηρος means--well, hero.
Steven Torrey Friend, the Greek spelling for ‘hero’ is ηρως, and for ‘I will speak’ is ερω. But there is another significant distinction: ηρως is accented on the first syllable, whereas ερω on the last syllable. To the Greek, the nonuse of aspiration creates no confusion.
Thank you.
+Philemon Zachariou :)
Great help. The blessings of our Lord and Savior be upon you.
Thank you, sir. The same to you, too. -PZ
The following comments were posted recently by Simon Benderbender. Unfortunately, while I was attempting to respond, his comments were inadvertently erased(?). Fortunately, I was able to retrieve Simon's comments from my iPhone. Here they are, unaltered (copied and pasted). Thank you, Simon Benderbender, for your comments-and understanding! -PZ
By Simon Benderbender:
"This is very helpful, thank you very much! In Germany, ancient Greek is taught with Erasmian pronounciation which is total crap and doesnt sound Greek at all. But I have a question: You are saying in the video, that thre breath marks are not pronounced and can be ignored. But what is the purpose then? Could be omitt using the like in modern Greek? Thank you very much"
RESPONSE: The so-called “aspirate H” seen on Ancient Greek inscriptions, by classical times was already a relic of the past. This is supported by the fact that in many inscriptions of the 5th century BC, H is often missing or used erratically. In fact some decades before 403 BC-the year Athens officially ratified the 24-letter Ionic alphabet-H had already assumed the role of the vowel Hta [ita]. Diacritic symbols such as seen on Greek letters, particularly breath marks, were not used in Ancient Greek. Tradition ascribes these symbols to Aristophanes of Byzantium, a 3rd c. BC philologist and librarian at Alexandria. The system eventually embraced 10 symbols: breathings, accents, stops, quantity marks, and other such signs). These symbols were perceived as prosodic marks-prosody (προσῳδία) now denoting accentuation-and were devised in an attempt to guide one’s reading and interpretation primarily of the old poetic classical works. The “smooth” breath mark or the “rough” breath mark is never found in inscriptions and the papyri, nor in the oldest manuscripts. (This means that the New Testament authors did not make use of such symbols, let alone H, as the oldest copies of NT manuscripts attest.) After scanty use for centuries, and following a reform of accentuation undertaken by grammarian Theodosios of Alexandria around AD 400, accent marks and diacritics reappeared and further evolved. The systematic application of accent marks to manuscript texts dates since the 7th century, and from the 13th century onward accentuation became obligatory and used on every word. It may thus very well be that the evolution and actual use of accent (or stress) marks in Byzantine times-marks originally meant for metrical verse-may have contributed to the traditional notion that in Hellenistic times Greek changed from a tonal to a stress language. In 1982 the Greek Parliament abandoned the cumbersome use of breath marks in Dimotiki (Demotic) to simplify spelling since Neohellenic (Modern Greek) has no aspiration. It also introduced a simplified accentuation system whereby the traditional accents marks ( ´ ` ῀ ) were replaced with a single accent mark ( ´ )-hence, monotonic-which is placed over the vowel of the accented syllable. All such diacritic symbols find use in Katharevousa-as used today, for example, in the Athenian newspaper ΕΣΤΙΑ (Ἑστία). Thus, just because Modern Greek used the aspirate symbol in writing until 1982, it does not mean that rough breathing was in use in speech until then but not thereafter. Likewise, just because H in 403 BC was officially adopted as a vowel, it does not mean that its use prior to 403 BC indicated aspiration. The Erasmian use of H as a symbol of rough breathing (aspirate), particularly when it comes to New Testament writings, has no linguistic basis whatsoever. In fact, the use of the Erasmian pronunciation system, which is curiously applied to Classical and to New Testament Greek alike, is nothing short of an academic travesty.
Coincidentally, look for announcements of the upcoming publication of my new book by Wipf and Stock Publishers titled, Reading and Pronouncing Biblical Greek: Historical Pronunciation versus Erasmian. -PZ
I gratefully thank you, Sir. You make my pronunciation learning process much easier.
You are very welcome! -PZ
High quality work. Congratulations.
Thank you very much! -PZ
Dear Dr. Zachariou, thank you very much for writing your book, "Reading and Pronouncing Biblical Greek." It was a very interesting book, and I thought your point about late Bronze Age Mycenaean Greek, Linear B, only having the same five vowel sounds as the Neohellenic pronunciation system was quite an insightful knock against all of the diphthongs of the Erasmian system. Do you know if Dr. Caragounis goes further into the pronunciation of Linear B? If not, do you know another source that goes further into this issue. On another note, I have been using the Neohellenic pronunciation system since I lived in Greece after college. I realized then and there that the Neohellenic pronunciation was not only infinitely more practical and easier, but way more beautiful and evocative than any artificial pronunciation system could ever be. Thank you again for your wonderful book.
Dear Mr. Ard, Thank you for your good feedback on my book. I am glad that you pointed out in particular the fact that Mycenaean Linear B speaks of five Greek vowels, the same as those in Neohellenic. I hope many more readers will see Greek phonology in the same light as you did. Dr. Caragounis does refer to Linear B in his book, "The Development of Greek and the New Testament: Morphology, Syntax, Phonology, and Textual Transmission," especially pp. 22-26. There is a plethora of works on Linear B. Gary Miller’s “Ancient Scripts” (see p. 97) is a wonderful book, but it goes far beyond Linear B. I would recommend that you subscribe to www.JSTOR.org and log in. There you will find an almost “numberless” list of sources on the topic. You can also surf the Internet for easy access, but then you would need to be more selective. Thank you again for your comments. Please feel free to contact me at www.Greeklinguistics.net / NTGreek@att.net. All the best, -PZ
Answer, PART 1. The Greek Septuagint (LXX) commenced in Alexandria around 285 BC. Thus, prior to the Greek NT “the Bible” was the LXX. An Athenian reading from the LXX in 200 BC would have been understood by an Athenian in 100 BC; and the latter reading the same would have been understood by Matthew and Paul in 30 AD-all because the Greek of the LXX was also the Greek of NT times. This is corroborated by the massive Hellenistic papyrical and inscriptional record.
This is one packed 24:04 worth of info! I've already watched it 3 times but I can see it's going to take a lot more viewing, starting and stopping to really absorb this but I really want to learn to read the new testament in biblical Greek. Thanks so much for posting it and making it!, and I really love the Lord's Prayer at the end. Are you planning on making any more videos like this?
Bobby B Thank you for your comments. Very encouraging to know that this video has been reaching those like you who realize the value of what they hear and see in terms of the authentic Greek sounds. More videos to come, but right now I am producing whole Greek NT passages with an interlinear phonetic transliteration system and accompanying audio files on CD. Warm regards. -PZ
Philemon Zachariou Your current project sounds Great!!! Can't wait until you finish it!
Thank You!
[I am so thankful how you focus on teaching and display it on the video. (My tablet only allows one window open at a time). I'm looking forward to many hours of learning your teachings, on long train rides to and from work, to the Glory and honour of God, so I can confidently share the truth of God's passion to share eternal life with all who receive Salvation through Jesus. Clarity in truth is key ] Your method is Great!
Bobby, I want to read Gods word in Greek as well, thanks your post is encouraging. How are you doing brother?
@@PhilemonZachariou
PZ is what you mentioned the same as the books available on your website or more to come? I am so grateful to you for sharing. Our Lord has been kind to you that he chose your native tounge to give His Word to the world and you a good servant for sharing it with the less fortunate English. We were on the road, so to speak, but we were battered with misinformation and wrestled with grammars then PZ who was also in the way came near and gave richly of his gifts to mend and grow us up in the Word. Other native Greeks have shared publicly, but you also offer vast opportunities to learn and you determination to be slow and clear with all that you excell in is important for us newbies
Wow! Outstanding! Hello, I just foud your channel just now and Im so thrilled thinking what I can learn from your videos. This one is amazing. The vocabulary included is a good help to me to understand the word Im trying to read. Thank you.
I appreciate your sharing! -PZ
Thank you φιλέ.
You are welcome! -PZ
Answer, PAT 2. The record shows that in either case-whether in LXX or NT times-Greek was spelled (or misspelled!) and pronounced virtually the same way. The question then is, Would the translators of the LXX in 285 BC have been understood by Alexander in 323 BC, less than 40 years earlier? If not, why? And if yes, who was Alexander’s private tutor? Aristotle. (We need not go much further, really, for we are already into the orthography and sound system of post-Eucleidian classical Athens…)
Ευχαριστώ πολύ.
Παρακαλώ ! --ΦΖ
This is wonderful, Thanks!
Algis Kemezys Thank you!
Algis Kemezys y
Even though I personally typically use modern pronunciation for older forms of Greek, I'm not slow to recognize its slight issues. First of all, given the fact that ioticization hadn't become completed until after antiquity, to pronounce both υμίν and ημίν in conversation the same exact way leads to ambiguity. Am I referring to "you all" or "us all?" This is something Dr. Randall Buth, one of the foremost promoters of teaching Koine Greek as a living language, has addressed in his lectures.
Dear Alexandros Hispanikos, I appreciate your interest in Greek, and you have raised some legitimate questions. I am sure you can understand, however, how limited this space is for the discussion of such matters. I will therefore be brief in my responses. Such issues are dealt with in greater detail in my recently published book, Reading and Pronouncing Biblical Greek: Historical Pronunciation versus Erasmian (Wipf and Stock Publishers, June 2020). Visit www.Greeklinguistics.net, or contact me at NTGreek@att.net for a copy. My book deals with the so-called "restored" Greek pronunciation and Sidney Allen’s views in his Vox Graeca. (1) Regarding Φ. After Attic replaced ΠΗ, ΤΗ, ΚΗ with the Greek-invented letters Φ, Θ, Χ, Latin switched from the use of PH for Φ to F, but for Θ and Χ it continued to use TH and CH respectively, because it had no equivalents for the monoliteral fricatives (not stops) Θ, Χ. But under Erasmian influence, F for Φ (fantastic) gave way to PH (phantom). (2) Regarding ρ as Latin Rh. What “Latin” are you referring to? Erasmian or Classical? If the former, that is not Greek; and if the latter, let me know what Classical Latin inscription shows Greek ρ transliterated as RH. (3) Regarding H and Y. The historical record shows that post-Eucleidean H as I and Y as I are not “modern” inventions but that their leveling can be traced to pre-Hellenistic times. (4) Regarding Y in specific. Around the time of Julius Caesar (1st c. BC), Latin re-introduced Z and adopted Y to represent Greek words and loanwords containing them. To differentiate between I and Greek-invented Y, the Romans named Y i Graeca “Greek [i]”-not [ü]!-a name still used among Romance languages today; for at the time of its adoption into Latin, Υ(υ) had long been confused with I(ι), e.g., CIGNVS cignus for κύκνος. That is all I will say for now. Cheers! -PZ
@@PhilemonZachariou σάς ευχαριστώ πολύ! Very engrossing topic, indeed. I'm interested in obtaining your book.
@@PhilemonZachariou I have seen in Roman literature that names borrowed from Greek, such as Ρόδος and Ραδάμανθυς are transliterated as Rhodus and Rhadamanthys.
@@PhilemonZachariou One more question I must ask: Why would the Romans transliterate names like Θησεύς and Οδυσσεύς as "Thēséus" and "Odysseus", instead of "Thisefs" or "Odyssefs?"
That does not mean that that is how these names were transliterated in Classical Latin. The transliteration of Geek P as RH came into being around Medieval times. -PZ
Thank you so much. It's very useful
质量如此上乘的视频不多见，非常感谢！
Friend, I wish I could say, "That's all Greek to me" !
But as the Greeks say, "That's Chinese to me." !
This was very helpful as a standard Greek alphabet table alone is not enough. The letter "rho" explanation was a little strange with the trill sound.
True, living sounds bring mere symbols to life. Referring to ρ as a "trill" may sound informal, but that is the standard phonetic description for it. It's pretty much the sound in "better" or "butter" heard in conversational American English (vs. the soft aspirated "tt" in British English). Thanks for the feedback. -PZ
Thanks
You are very welcome! -PZ
This is a superb video and it has been extremely helpful in setting a foundation to learn to read the language!
Just one question... In the letter τ, I have heard it pronounced and written like "taf" even thought the letter is spelled out like ταυ (tay). So is there a misunderstanding on my part or is there a rule to make an "f" sound in greek? Thanks though I'm learning a lot
DearAnthony Cortes, thank you for your positive comments. The pronunciation of the letter T as “taf” is right. The letter T in Greek is ultimately of Semitic origin. In Hebrew, for instance, T is pronounced “tav” which in Greek is transliterated “ταυ.” As you may remember from my video, Greek αυ = “av" before voiced sounds, but “af” before voiceless sounds or at the end of a word. So, Semitic Tav > Greek Taf. I think the transliteration “tay” is based on “ταυ῾ where the ypsilon “υ” is rendered as “y,” hence “Tay.” But, as you can see, this spelling can lead to the mispronunciation of Ταυ as “tay” [tei], which is wrong. There is no basis for the concocted pronunciation of Greek T as “tay.” I hope this helps.
Digamma, an archaic Phoenician symbol, resembled F but sounded like “V” as in Very. In the 5th c. BC it was substituted by Β [vee-ta], pronounced “V” as in Very, or (2) fricativized Υ (as in the diphthongs AY, EY, HY), pronounced “V” as in Very before voiced sounds, “F” as in Ferry before voiceless sounds. Because digamma fell out of use early on and therefore never became a part of the 24-letter Classical Greek alphabet, it had no effect on the Eucleidian Attic orthography or grammar.
I'm assuming that it was then adopted into the Latin alphabet to represent the Φ sound, correct?
These letters did not exist , already, during biblical times. Not in bible nor the kiní dialect of greek.
Thank you for this!
I am learning ancient Greek. nice to see the similarities. Although, I don't know modern Greek syntax.
The diphthongs, or digraphs, except OU are pronounced differently in the academy. I find it interesting because this pronunciation is closer to Latin's as we know today: like, Fluvius, Fluvii. (River)
Just to make sure I understand. If i were to pronounce - ὁι Κύριοι - it will sound like "i kirii"?
thank you.
Dear Kobi, the syntax of Modern Greek has not lost its elasticity. You will find that Ancient Greek and Modern Greek share a great range of syntactical patterns. As for οἱ Κύριοι, you are on target: it is pronounced [ i kirii ]. -PZ
Thank you so much, Dr. Zachariou! This is a wonderful crash course! I am a singer of ancient music, but have never sung in Greek before and am constructing a Byzantine style chant with Psalm 51 (50) in Greek as the text for it, and am trying to assimilate as quickly as I can so I can transliterate to my little group of singers how to pronounce the text. So this helps tremendously. Could I contact you for further help? Thank you!
Dear Jenifer, thank you for your good words. I am delighted that you found the video helpful. It would be a privilege to be of assistance to your worthy musical project and wonderful group of singers. You may contact me at NTGreek@att.net. -PZ
Fantastic teaching my friend. Please keep making videos for people who want to learn Greek.Do you have a video teaching the Nicene Creed very slowly - please make one.Thanks a million.
Thank you, John. -PZ
Awesome job!!
Thank you, friend! -PZ
Thank you!
You're welcome! -PZ
wonderful . thank you so much ...
Thank you too! -PZ
Very helpful ~ thank you!
I agree with some of your letter pronunciations; thanks for posting.
Hello, Christopher, I am sure you can add some substance to your observation. -PZ
@@PhilemonZachariou I would say that I use more of an Erasmian approach, but probably not entirely.
Excellent!
Many thanks! -PZ
As a second-generation Greek American, I use some pronunciations that I believe are now regarded as old-fashioned. For example, before an "ee" sound, I palatalize λ and ν, pronouncing these combinations as "lyee" and "nyee." I believe this was once regarded as standard. When I was in Greece in 1971, I noticed that many older people also used these pronunciations, while most younger people did not. For example, I attended a performance of Dora Stratou's dance theater, at which Miss Stratou, obviously a highly cultured person, introduced the dances in several languages in addition to Greek. She palatalized consistently. One of the dances involved two groups of men, one older than the other, though not very much so. The older group sang phrases which were repeated by the younger group. The older group palatalized; the younger group did not. I also attended a performance of a play at Sounion, at which one member of the cast palatalized his ν's, but not his λ's. I gather that the latter pronunciation is even more out of favor than the former. I suppose there is local variation even now. Palatalization did not usually seem to have been applied to a ν at the end of a word. ("Δεν είμαι" was "dhen eeme," not "dhen yeeme." A great uncle of mine did use the latter pronunciation, but my grandmother regarded it as sloppy.) Also, I notice that most younger people do not pronounce the ν and μ before τ and π, pronouncing σαράντα πέντε as "saradda pedde" instead of "saranda pende." I would only omit them at the beginning of a word. I suspect that this is more recent and not as universal. Lastly, an unaccented ε was sometimes pronounced as "ee." "Πώς σε λένε" would often come out as though spelled "Πώς σι λένε" and "δεξιά" as "διξιά." Is this still common?
Hello, as a Greek I'm here to answer your questions.
1. About palatalising the λ and ν in front of the 'ee' sound. It is most common in rural areas, as it is part of many different regional accents. The Peloponnese (where I'm from) palatalises both λ and ν, while Roumeli palatalises only ν. I assume other areas do other things.
Same goes for what you said about what happens with the phrase 'Δεν είμαι' (which is would say 'thenyeemeh'). It's also more of a case to case basis and what rolls easier on the mouth.
2. The reason why 'ντ' and 'μπ' aren't often pronounced 'nd' and 'mb' is because that's not the sound they make. 'ντ' is always 'd' as in door and 'μπ' is always 'b' as in bare. Sometimes though, when speaking slower, people emphasise the ν or μ, to be more clear.
3. What you said about ε being pronounced η is an idiom and most people understand that to be a mistake that old people from villages sometimes make. This is very much not how those things are supposed to be read.
Now, as for why most people don't use those things and others (like saying τηράω instead of κοιτάζω) is because it's not considered proper. It is not appropriate to speak with an accent or an idiom to a stranger, you're being impolite. Please speak proper Greek.
Good luck in learning the language, I hope this helps you
Hello, X-Thermal. You did quite well in your responses to
@angreagach's questions. A good job. I might add that palatalizing [n] and [l] is mostly regional. Unfortunately even well educated Greek people can be heard palatalizing these sounds. From a mainstream Greek phonology perspective, such palatalized sounds are considered substandard. -PZ
@@PhilemonZachariou Why is that unfortunate? Everybody doesn't have to talk alike. I'm sick and tired of the idea that any variation must be stigmatized.
@@angreagach because above all, we need to be able to understand eachother. If I speak with someone from the other side of Greece who doesn't use proper phonetics and speaks with their regional idiom I won't be able to understand a thing. It is not correct grammatically, because it's not universal.
We don't stigmatise regional accents because we think the people speaking them are idiots. We stigmatise them and teach everyone standard greek because we all need to understand each other. To speak with an accent shows a lack of social awareness, because accents are informal. Speaking with an idiom (pontic, cretan etc.) is frowned upon because nobody else can understand you.
Palatalized pronunciation of ν [n] and λ [l] before front vowels [i] and [e] in Greek today is substandard. When I hear educated natives palatalizing these sounds, I admittedly feel uneasy. Educated Greeks who do not palatalize these sounds may rub shoulders with educated natives who do palatalize them, but not without being at least slightly conscious of this issue. When we are talking about today's Neohellenic ("Modern" Greek) pronunciation, we are not talking about any peripheral, regional, or isolated pronunciations of Greek. Rather, we are talking about the mainstream historical Greek pronunciation that stood the test of time from historical times to the present. There is no evidence whatsoever that ν [n] and λ [l] were palatalized in Classical Greek or Κοινή. As for variations of expressions such as you mention, they are as a rule indicators of dialectal pronunciations among the less literate. Isolated dialectal variations do not otherwise deviate from the phonemes of the language. Nor are they indicators of any preserved ancient types of pronunciation that traversed through the centuries and are still intact. -PZ
nice job! thankx very much for your work, very helpful!!
Thank you, sir!
The more I see ur video the more I see very good job 👏 thanks
Thank you, too. -PZ
Fantastic tutorial teaching the Greek alphabet! Thanks. I am trying to learn Greek.Can you make a video like this saying the "Lord's Prayer" and "The Nicene Creed" speaking very slowly.Please I beg of you.God bless you,John
Thank you for your kind words. -PZ
Making some progress.
Thanks so much from Myanmar. God bless you
Thank you very much, sir
You are most welcome. -PZ
i like thank you
Thanks for liking it. -PZ
I'm not learning greek but I have a Greek Character and I'm here to learn at least the basics to be accurate with her 😂
Learning the basics is a good approach. You will find that Greek reading and pronunciation is very consistent, which will motivate you to learn more. -PZ
The English language has 490,000 words of which 41.615 words. is from the Greek language
That's why I intend to study it!!!!
I want to make sure I'm doing this right. Can you explain any pronunciation differences between θ and δ? Is it analogous to the difference between φ and β, where the mouth is in the same position for both but the sound vibrates with β ? How I understand it is that you keep your tongue against the teeth in the same position for both, but with θ you let the air pass freely through and with δ you trap the air to cause a vibration? Like the differences between "that" (pronounced like δat) and path (pronounced like paθ). Am I understanding this correctly?
+Bryan Gordy That's exactly it. φ and θ are voiceless, β and δ are their voiced counterparts.
+Bryan Gordy Sorry for the belated response, but I see that a friend, Bruno Vieira, has already provided the right answer. Yes, θ and δ form a voiceless-voiced pair just as φ and β form a voiceless-voiced pair. Examples: θ as in ether, δ as in either. θ and δ are continuous apicodental sounds, that is, formed with the tongue tip and the upper teeth while air flows unobstructed between them. During the articulation of θ and δ the tongue tip protrudes very slightly to noticeably below the upper teeth, depending on individual idiosyncrasy. If, however, at the beginning of the articulation of θ or δ the tongue tip is behind the upper teeth and close to the alveolar ridge (upper gums), then the tendency would be to produce the stop (not continuous) sound of t in ten and d in den respectively. So, be sure that your θ and δ are continuous apicodental (voiceless-voiced) consonants. -PZ
+Bryan Gordy
Θ = TH --> Thief, thunder, thesis, thespians, path
Δ = TH --> Them, that, there, those, the, though
+denmasxe θ and δ form a voiceless-voiced pair just as φ and β form a voiceless-voiced pair. Examples: θ as in ether, δ as in either. θ and δ are continuous apicodental sounds, that is, formed with the tongue tip and the upper teeth while air flows unobstructed between them. During the articulation of θ and δ the tongue tip protrudes very slightly to noticeably below the upper teeth, depending on individual idiosyncrasy. If, however, at the beginning of the articulation of θ or δ the tongue tip is behind the upper teeth and close to the alveolar ridge (upper gums), then the tendency would be to produce the stop (not continuous) sound of t in ten and d in den respectively. So, be sure that your θ and δ are continuous apicodental (voiceless-voiced) consonants. -PZ
δ - [Д], θ - [Т]
AAwesome, thank you!
Of the two different styles of pronunciation, I personally think the style you teach sounds much better than the other. However, it's interesting that you stated in a comment that there is no such thing as "modern" Greek. You said this is "because today's phonemic Greek sounds are traceable to antiquity." Yet, I believe history shows that languages tend to change over time, which is the reason there are so many different English translations of the bible. I can read and for the most part understand what the King James Version says, but the way we speak today is far different than the way English was spoken well over 300 years ago, when the first King James Version was written. Even during a 30-40 year lifetime, the way people talk tends to change. Although when I was a young child I could communicate with my grandmother, she often used terminology and phrases that I'd never hear people of my age using, nor did she often understand us. Although I'm certainly no expert in the matter and am only beginning to learn very basic Greek, I've heard several seminary professors teaching the other style, as they'd refer to it as Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek (or Koine Greek, which is nothing more than saying the common Greek of that time period). I've heard from those who have studied the language that there were many dialects of Greek during those days and that Attic Greek (in Athens) was one of the most prominent, just as there are many dialects of English to this day. Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching your video. I like listening to various sources. As soon as I have more time I'll look to see if you have other videos, as this was the first of yours I came across.
Dear Joseph, Thank you for your comments. Your thinking is reasonable, and I agree with you on a number of points, especially with regard to changes in English even within one’s lifetime. Languages do change, to be sure, some in more ways than others, but they all do change, nevertheless. Greek is no exception. If however you measure language change across the board by the yardstick of time alone and thereby apply the rate of change English has undergone since Chaucer’s time also to Greek, then Greek since classical times must have changed at least three times as much as English! But has it? I think not. But let us be more specific here by zeroing in on the phonemic sounds of Greek, sounds that make a difference in meaning. True, we do not have sound recordings of NT Greek nor of Classical Greek, so we will never know exactly how Paul or Aristotle sounded. But we do have an unbroken record of literature that enables us to trace changes, as well as similarities, of the sounds of Greek from modern to classical times. This unbroken written record indicates what Greek letters represent what sounds, especially from the year 403 BC, when Athens adopted the 24-letter Ionic alphabet-the exact same alphabet Greek has used since. Add to this the fact that Greek spelling has been applied by virtually the same grammar rules since that time, and you have a pretty solid basis to stand on when trying to figure diachronically what sounds were represented by what letter(s). In closing, let us make a simple comparison between English and Greek as far as writing and sounds are concerned: In how many ways has the English name, say, Wycliffe been spelled over the past 700 years? I am sure you would say at least five. And in how many ways has the name ΑΡΙΣΤΟΤΕΛΗΣ been spelled in Greek over the past 24 centuries? Just as the Attic Greek alphabet used in Greek today is not modern but historical, so the sounds represented in the unbroken centuries-old written record and preserved in today’s Greek are not modern but historical. I recommend that you read my book, Reading and Pronouncing Biblical Greek: Historical Pronunciation versus Erasmian (June 2020, Wipf and Stock Publishers). In it you can see in more detail what I am trying to say here. As for my videos, you may type “Greek Pronunciation 1,” Greek Pronunciation 2,” and son on up to number 8. Or visit my website: Greeklinguistics.net. Cheers! -PZ
@@PhilemonZachariou I found this comment and bought your book! I'm enjoying it
Amazing video! Thanks !
Thank you, friend! -PZ
Thank you for this. Would you say that contemporary Greeks studying ancient Greek make any changes in their pronunciation, or do they simply say it the way they would if the word were given in a contemporary Greek text?
Friend, your question is appreciated. Greeks have always pronounced their language one way. The pronunciation of Ancient Greek in the manner of Neohellenic ("Modern" Greek) had been accepted prior to, and through Byzantine times, as an incontestable fact. Objections to it were first raised by non-Greek Renaissance scholars who, despite the fact that they knew no Greek, came to tell Greeks how they ought to pronounce their mother tongue! -PZ
@@PhilemonZachariou Thank you.
awsome!
Εύχαριστῶ! Thank you! -PZ
Kalimera, learning Greek.
Καλημέρα. Μαθαίνεις Ελληνικά; Μπράβο! -ΦΖ
Kalimera. Mathenis Elinika? Bravo! -PZ
what about letters like the digamma? where did they fall in greek grammar?
Is it possible for you make an mp3, it may help other if they can download it to save Internet usage keep the videos coming very well put together, shows time dedication and planing, brilliant video thank you
infoGIver Yes. The video is based on Vol. II of my series of books on Greek. This book is on orthography and phonetics. There is an MP3 CD that comes with the book, which includes all you see and hear through this video. You may want to visit www.JesusspokeGreek.com and locate the book and CD. Thank you kindly. -PZ
Just google "youtube to mp3" there are tons of sites that will make an mp3 out of any video for free.
Thank you, Myanmar.
incredible1
Are the recording links still available if workbook is purchased?
Thanks for asking. You can download all the sound files that go with the Workbook (Vol. II) and all the sound files that go with the Grammar Essentials (Vol. III). All you need to do is go to www.Greeklinguistics.net, click on "Sound Files" and, lo and behold, all the sound files are yours-and so are all the videos. -PZ
спасибо, очень содержательно
Благодарю вас! -PZ
Im kinda confused with upsilon because Google says in Ancient Grecia it was used as “U”. And my rule with alphabets is that two symbols cannot make the same sound. You mentioned Omega and Omicron are the same. I conclude that this is not helpful. ◽️
Google does not know Greek. It only spews out what is put into it. We have hard evidence that "ypsilon" υ was was confused with "iota" ι as early as the 6th century BC. There is no doubt that by New Testament times υ = i. That goes for ω = ο as well. I trust you can now review this video with renewed interest and confidence. -PZ
very helpful :)
Thank you.
you're welcome Philemon :)
Very interesting and informative video, thank you. I have one probably naive question about why this is defined historical Greek pronunciation (HGP). My modern Greek textbook gives exactly the same pronunciation rules, so I presume the adjective historical underlines the fact that this pronunciation has been in use since classical times by the Athenians (as I saw in your second video about the development of Greek)?
Dear Andrea, It would be impossible to summarize here the evidence expounded in my book, Reading and Pronouncing Biblical Greek, Vol. I: Historical Evidence of Authentic Sounds. Simply put, however, the unbroken historical evidence since classical times (or earlier) to the present shows that what is commonly thought of as being a "modern" Greek way of reading and pronouncing individual Greek letters and digraphs is actually a centuries-old practice that reached modern times. For example, today's [i]-sound single letters and digraphs ι, η, υ, ει, οι, υι, the [e]-sound letters ε and αι, and the [o]-sound letters ο and ω represent the same sounds today as they did over 24 centuries ago, and more specifically in 403 BC, when Athens adopted the 24-letter Ionic alphabet, which is still being used today. The historical evidence therefore tells us what spelling in classical times represented what phonemic sounds (i.e., sounds that make a difference in meaning). Now, we may not know exactly how Greek was pronounced in Athens in the classical period-what voice contours and other voice peculiarities the Athenians typically used when, in what particular regions, and according to what individual academic, social, or occupational background effects-but we do know what sounds were phonemic and what letters or spelling represented them. Based on that evidence, and strictly in a scientific sense, the term "modern" is misleading in that it automatically differentiates the "modern" pronunciation from the Classical Attic pronunciation or the Κοινή "Koine" [kini] pronunciation. Uninformed individuals today go by what they commonly hear or are typically taught in the classroom, but the unbroken historical evidence is indisputable that the phonemic sounds of mainstream Greek today (e.g., not peripheral or isolated pronunciations) are diachronically traceable from modern times all the way to classical times and actually beyond. Because the evidence shows that those historical sounds have come down to us over the centuries, we can claim that today's mainstream Greek sounds are the classical Greek sounds preserved in Neohellenic (today's Greek). And since these sounds are historical and not just modern, their pronunciation collectively constitutes what in my book is referred to as the Historical Greek Pronunciation (HGP). I hope this bit helps. -PZ
@@PhilemonZachariou A very comprehensive and clear reply. Thanks a lot!
Thanks 🙏 very useful
Welcome! -PZ
Do you support that the letter " δ" used to be pronounced as "d" in English or it was always pronounced as it is in modern Greek as "th" ?
and same question goes for letter "β" was it "b" like in English or was always pronounced as it is in modern Greek as "v"
oOoKhaledoOo Thank you, friend, for your interest and your question. I started to respond by referring to Grimm’s Law and to Verner’s Law but found myself going into detail that would not fit here. So, I will be as direct as you were in asking your question. First, the word ALWAYS throws me off. It would be easier if you tied your question to some specific era. Since, however, this type of question comes up almost invariably in connection with Classical Greek, let me answer your question in that light in the affirmative. Those who claim, for instance, that Aristotle and his pupil, Alexander the Great, pronounced β and δ as ‘b and ‘d’ respectively simply regurgitate what they were taught. But think of it in ‘reverse': that is, at which point, going backward in time, did β and δ cease to be pronounced ‘v’ as in ‘very’ and ‘th’ as in ‘the’ ? A traditional scholar, who would most likely claim that the change took place sometime in Hellenistic times, would not be able to produce any evidence in support of such a claim. The only recourse he/she would have in defending his/her position would be the use of some authority (this or that author, this or that law). But until one shows the evidence that β and δ ceased to be β and δ, they remain β and δ. Doesn’t that sound logical? (My book goes into detail regarding these sounds.) -PZ
Thanks so so much!
Blessings on you, my friend. -PZ
Thank you very much
Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ Ευχαριστώ
Is this the Ermasian or Koine pronunciation, or a Modern Greek pronunciation?
It is the pronunciation of Greek, not Erasmian. -PZ
file mou aftes oi lekseis einai arxaia ellinika ?den moiazoun me simerina ellinika gia afto rotaw.an me apantas tha xarw poli na sai kala
Οι λέξεις αυτές είαι από την Καινή Διαθήκη και προφέρονται όπως προφέρονται σήμερα τα Ελληνικά. --ΦΖ
Ελληνικά θέλετε να τους μάθετε ή θρησκευτικά ;
Μαλλον Ελληνικά, ούτως ώστε να μπορέσουν να προχωρήσουν και στα θρησκευτικά. -ΦΖ
Μαλλον Ελληνικά, ούτως ώστε να μπορέσουν να προχωρήσουν και στα θρησκευτικά. -ΦΖ
Yia sou!
And thank you!!!
There are a million videos of 'american Greek language lecturers' pronouncing Upsilon wrong. aka oopsilon.
I would like to ask your opinion on the English pronunciation of the word as in the English language:
Upsilon.
I firmly believe, it should still be pronounced Ipsilon in English, despite the English rules of pronunciation of the spelling Upsilon, because they are denoting a greek vowel.
Whats your thoughts on this?
The name ψιλόν psilon “simple” in ὕψιλον ypsilon (υ) [ipsilon] and ἔψιλον epsilon (ε) [epsilon], coined by the pre-Byzantines around the Christian era, denotes that ε [e] and υ [i] are single letters. This helped distinguish ε from the nameless digraph αι (= ε), and υ from the nameless digraphs ει, οι, υι, which also sounded
like υ (= iota ι). There was no problem with iota ι since it always had its own name. Thus the names ypsilon and epsilon were coined to facilitate orthography during dictation to school children and to manuscript copyists at the scriptoria where many scribes were simultaneously engaged in dictation by following a lector’s reading. With regard to ὔψιλον ypsilon (υ) in specific, the papyrical and inscriptional record helps us trace their confusion to classical times or earlier. I hope this helps. -PZ
Wow thanks for the quick reply. But does not completely answer the question.
That's great info, but as you are well aware, the word Upsilon (Not spelled with a Y), is present in the English language - I do understand the source of the word, and why it is spelled the way it is. However it is used in various applications, from Mathematics, to Physics, to even American fraternities, and used phoenetically in the English language.
Most individuals in the English langauge, pronounce it as 'oopsilon' which is obviously incorrect from a greek perspective. I think it should be pronounced, as you say in the video, even in the English language.
So as a phd linguist, who studied overseas, and in the states, with Greek roots, I was curious on what you regard as the correct pronunciation of that word in the English context, where the word, also lives.
I have had arguements on this issue, with foreigners stating by English rules, they are autonomous to the greek roots, and hence should follow 'English rule lingustic pronounciation of the letter u'.
So if we were discussing a physics or mathematical equation in English... Would it be more correct to pronounce 'Ipsilon' or 'upsilon' (Phonetically speaking).
Kep
Is the modern pronunciation, as opposed to Koine?
This is how Greek is pronounced today, and it is closer to the pronunciation of Greek in the Christian era, a.k.a. "Koine," than any artificial or semi-artificial pronunciation of Greek. -PZ
Where is the teacher? I want to register
I am the teacher, but unfortunately I do not offer any lessons now. -PZ
@@PhilemonZachariou Do you teach English online? I want to learn and will pay for teaching by the hour
Pronouncing beta with a "v" sound is not a koine pronunciation, modern perhaps.
Dear Christopher, you sound confident about the pronunciation of β “vee-ta” being not a Koine pronunciation, but not as confident about the same pronunciation being a Modern Greek pronunciation. At any rate, please let me know (1) how you arrived at β “vee-ta” not being a Koine pronunciation, and (2) if β “vee-ta” is a Modern Greek pronunciation, when did that change start and what evidence you have in support of your thesis. I will be waiting to hear from you. Thanks. -PZ
Is the gamma pronounced in Αγια Σοφια ? Ενχαριστω.
Yes, my friend, the γ in Αγία Σοφία is pronounced, though palatalized. Bear in mind that velar fricative γ becomes palatalized before the front vowel sounds [i] and [e]. So Αγία is pronounced ah-yee-ah [a-yi-a]. -PZ
Yes, of course. Α Γ Ι Α ( Α γ ί α ) sounds like A-YEE-A with the stress on YEE. -PZ