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Koine Greek

1,745 bytes added, 20:43, 18 August 2008
copied from http://reformedword.org/Greek:Alphabet
| omega || ω || Ω || o || <u>o</u>bey
|}
 
== Diphthongs and ι-subscripts ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Diphthong
! Pronunciation
|-
! ΑΙ
| 'ai' as in aisle
|-
! ΕΙ
| 'ei' as in freight (identical to 'Η')
|-
! ΟΙ
| 'oi' as in oil
|-
! ΑΥ
| 'ow' as in sow
|-
! ΟΥ
| 'oo' as in fool
|-
! ΥΙ
| 'ooe' as in gooey
|-
! ΕΥ
| '''*'''
|}
 
: '''*''' 'ευ' is both hard and controversial. There is some evidence to suggest that is was pronounced 'ew' (as in "Ew, that's gross!") or simply 'yu'. What has been taught for ages, however, is 'eh-oo', as sound not present in English.
 
There are also version of several vowels with a small iota underneath (or beside in the case of capitols): ᾼ ᾳ, ῌ ῃ, ῼ ῳ. It is believed that these represent ancient diphthongs, but the pronunciation is not altered in the time of any Greek writing we can know.
 
 
== Accents and Breathing ==
There are three possible accents that can be put on Greek vowels: the acute <big>´</big>, the grave (pronounces 'grahv') <big>`</big> and the circumflex. The circumflex should like an upside crescent over the vowel, but some fonts use the caron (<big>^</big>) or even the tilde (<big>~</big>). It is thought the these different symbols represented rising and falling pitch, like modern Chinese, but by the time of our literature, they only indicate accent or stress.
 
* ἀρχῇ - ar'''xē'''
* λόγος - '''lo'''gos
 
Over the initial syllable of word that begins with a vowel, there will always be either a rough (<big>‘</big>) or a smooth (<big>’</big>) breathing sign. Rough means a 'h' sound and smooth means a lack of extra sound. A 'Ρ' (Rho), in the initial position, also taking a breathing sign, typically the rough. How precisely this altered pronunciation is not known.
==Quotes==

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