Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 19/10/2005 14:22, Dr. Joel M. Hoffman wrote:

> > > Those interersted in the LXX might be interested in Sturtevant's _The
> > > Pronunciation of Greek and Latin_, which I've added to my reading
> > > list:
> > >
> > >  http://www.exc.com/JoelHoffman/ReadingList.html
> > >
> > > It reviews the evidence about the pronunciation of Greek (and Latin),
> > > though without the benefit of modern linguistics.
> > >
> > >      
> > Those interested in the LXX might be better served by reading a book 
> > which is not nearly 40 years old and which does have the benefit of 
> > modern linguistics, and of much evidence e.g. in papyri which has been 
> > uncovered relatively recently.
> >    
>
> Do you have a suggestion?
>  

I have already suggested to you Randall Buth's article 
http://biblicalulpan.org/PDF%20Files/PRONSYS1_US.pdf, undated but quite 
recent. This is obviously an overview which doesn't go into all the 
evidence, but he lists books which do, e.g.

> For further examples and discussion, see Francis Thomas Gignac, /A 
> Grammar of the Greek Papyri of the Roman and Byzantine Periods./ 
> Volume One: Phonology. Milan 1976.
> More readable and with good grasp of linguistic development is: 
> Geoffrey Horrocks, /Greek, A History of the Language and its 
> Speakers./ Longmans, 1997.


Another interesting article, 
http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/%7ecwconrad/docs/CompPhon.pdf, is by Carl 
Conrad of the b-greek list, but this does not go into the dates of 
pronunciation changes. See also 
http://www.bsw.org/?l=72081&a=Art06.html, but I am surprised by the 
conclusion here, from a modern Greek speaker, that Koine Greek was 
already pronounced almost the same as modern Greek. There are more 
interesting links at http://www.biblicalgreek.org/links/pronunciation.php.


--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/