From: Jonathan Robie (74144.2360@compuserve.com)
Date: Mon Jul 29 1996 - 15:13:53 EDT
I use the modern Greek pronunciation, which I chose simply because I could get
tapes to help me with the sounds. There are advantages and disadvantages to each
way:
The advantages of modern Greek pronunciation:
1. It sounds cool, with much more rhythm.
2. According to Blass, Debrunnen, und Rehkopf, it may actually be closer to the
way Greek was pronounced in the New Testament era.
3. I can order a souvlaki in New Testament Greek (grin!)
But there are also some disadvantages:
1. I have a hard time understanding scholars who quote Greek
2. Some important distinctions are lost with the modern pronunciation --
this is particularly bad with plural pronouns, since the words hEMWN and hUMWN,
hEMEIS and hUMEIS, hEMIN and hUMIN, and hEMAS and hUMAS are *indistinguishable*
in the pronunciation of modern Greek!
This second problem might not seem so bad -- after all, nobody reads the Bible
to me in Greek -- but I find that it makes it harder to memorize passages, and
am seriously considering modifying my pronunciation to a less correct system
which makes the distinctions I need it to...or maybe even give up and join
Erasmus...
Jonathan
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