Thread: Greek scholars: which pronunciation convention do you use?

I know it is of secondary importance, but what pronunciation convention do you use when reading the Koine Greek text out loud? How many conventions are there?

I think it might be good to hear the words in your head when you read or study the Greek. This could be aided by reading out loud when you are learning.

Most people use the Erasmian. The so-called "modern" takes some getting used to (IMO).

Erasmian Modern
ai - aisle / ei - e in get
ei - freight / ei - i in machine
oi - oil / oi - i in machine
ui - suite / ui - i in machine
au - kraut / au - poverty or off
eu - feud / eu - effort or ev in fever
ou - food / ou - food

I'm currently using the Revised Imperial Koine by Randall Buth. It has the advantage of making sounds distinct that would have been distinct to a first century speaker, while being pronouncable to an English speaker and recognizable to a Greek speaker (Erasmian isn't).

For an example of how the Revised is distinct, take Romans 5:1, in which there is a text variant. Some say εχομεν and some say εχωμεν. That's because they were both pronounced the same way in the Koine. Erasmian loses things like that by pairing vowel sounds that don't go together and separating ones that do.

I've done personal study of both modern Greek and Biblical Greek, and found this:
1) Erasmian is easier to learn to study due to virtually no redundant letters and a seeming conformity to the Latin
2) Modern pronunciation sounds a LOT nicer spoken (IMHO) and is very close to Koine speech, if I understand it

Doesn't Zodhiates use modern pronunciation in his lexicons? (He's from Greek Cyprus, so it would make sense.)

Go to this link and scroll down to the table showing four parallel pronunciation conventions. It has a fairly good representation.

Greek Pronunciation

Buth's.

Erasmian.

I can't say I know the difference. I just say what I was taught in Greek 101.

Thanks for the info, everyone!

I use modern greek pronunciation... I was originally tutored in Koine greek by a pastor who is Greek, and I never could switch to Erasmian, it just sounds wrong.

Modern Greek pronunciation. I highly recommend Dr. Spiros Zodhiates' recording...New Testament

It is usually whatever you started with. I began (20+ years ago) with Erasmian, and can't stand modern. But then again, I hate ecclesiastical Latin pronunciation also!

So do you pronounce Latin in a more Italian way?

Originally Posted by py3ak

So do you pronounce Latin in a more Italian way?

The biggest difference is in the "C"

Cicero is pronounced "Kikero" not "Chichero."

Caelum (sky) is "kailoom" not "chailum"