Greek in a Nutshell — Text and Context

BRIEF READING LESSONS;

Designed for Beginners in the New Testament.

JAMES STRONG, S.T.D., Professor of Exegetical Theology in Drew Theological Seminary

NEW YORK: EATON & MAINS CINCINNATI: JENNINGS & GRAHAM

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by NELSON & PHILLIPS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.

This little Manual was originally prepared for the NORMAL CLASS, at the request of the editor of that Journal, and was at the same time expected to form an instruction book at the Sunday-School Assembly annually held at Chautauqua. This accounts for its form in twelve series of two pages each. The reading lessons, however, have been made sufficiently full for subsequent study. Of course the simplest elements only of the Greek language can be comprised in such narrow limits; nor can a full vocabulary or ready facility be acquired in so short a course. Nevertheless, a good beginning may be made, and that is "half the battle" in any enterprise. It is believed that a thorough mastery of this small volume will prove a conquest over all the real difficulties of the original tongue of the New Testament.

Form. Name. Sound. A α Al'pha _a_ in _man_, [_arm._[1]] Β β Be'ta _b_ Γ γ Gam'ma _g_ in _go_, [_king._[2]] Δ δ Del'ta _d_ Ε ε Ep'silon _e_ in _met_. Ζ ζ Ze'ta _dz_ in _adze_. Η η E'ta _e_ in _they_. Θ ϑ or θ The'ta _th_ in _thin_. Ι ι Io'ta _i_ in _tin_, [_machine_[3]] Κ κ or ϗ Kap'pa _k_ Λ λ Lamb'da _l_ Μ μ Mu _m_ Ν ν Nu _n_ Ξ ξ Xi _x_ Ο ο Om'icron _ο_ in _not_. Π π Pi _p_ Ρ ρ Rho _r_ Σ σ, final ς Sig'ma _s_ in _this_. Τ τ Tau _t_ in _it_. Υ υ U'psilon _u_ in _full_. Φ φ Phi _f_ χ χ Khi _kh_ (German _ch_.) ψ ψ Psi _ps_ Ω ω O'mega _ο_ in _no_.

§ 2. Notes on the Alphabet.

1. α sounds broad, like _a_ in _arm_, at the end of a word, and before ρ final or ρ followed by a different consonant.

2. γ has the nasal sound, like _ng_ in _king_, before γ, κ, χ, or ξ.

3. ι has its long sound, like _i_ in _machine_, at the end of a syllable.

Every letter is sounded, and, with the above exceptions, invariably the same.

§ 3. Each word, except a very few monosyllables, has one of the following accents written over a vowel in it, which marks the place of the spoken tone. A few small words, called _enclitics_, generally throw their accent, as an acute, on the last syllable of the preceding word.

§ 4. The _acute_ ('), which is the foundation of all the accents, stands on one of the last three syllables. In verbs, with the exception of certain forms, it stands as far toward the beginning of the word as the rules below allow. In other parts of speech it stands on the same syllable as in the ground-form, (that given in the lexicon,) except as required by these rules. When the last syllable has a long vowel or diphthong it stands on the syllable before the last.

§ 5. The _grave_ accent (`) is only written in place of the acute on the last syllable when not before a pause, or when unemphatic. It is understood to belong to all other syllables.

§ 6. The _circumflex_ (~) is placed on a syllable formed by the combination of two, the first of which had an acute and the second a grave; hence only on the last, or next to the last syllable, and only on a long vowel or a diphthong. When the last syllable has a short vowel, such a penult, if accented, takes the circumflex.

3. BREATHINGS, VOWELS, DIPHTHONGS, ETC.

§ 7. A vowel beginning a word takes either the _rough breathing_, (῾), which is pronounced like _h_, or else, to show the absence of that, _the smooth breathing_, (᾿), which has no appreciable sound. Initial ρ and υ always take the rough breathing; and double ρ in the middle of a word takes the smooth breathing on the first, and the rough on the second.

§ 8. The vowels are short, (ε and ο,) long, (η and ω,) or doubtful, (α, ι, and υ,) which last, although naturally short, are sometimes lengthened by derivation.

§ 9. The diphthongs are as follows:--

Proper. With Iota Subscript. Improper. αι sounds ay ᾳ = α ηυ = η and υ ει " i ῃ = η ωυ = ω and υ οι " oy ῳ = ω υι " we αυ " ow ευ " yu ου " oo

§ 10. In diphthongs the breathing and accent are written over the _second_ vowel. A capital (initial) letter in other cases takes them _before_ it.

§ 11. The punctuation marks are the comma, (,), the semicolon, (·), the period, (.), and the interrogation point, (;).

§ 12. When two _consonants_ come together the first is made homogeneous with the second, as follows:--

§ 13. Mutes of a different class must have the same degree of hardness according to the following classification:--

Smooth. Middle. Rough. Sibilant (with _s_.) Kappa-mutes. κ γ χ ξ Pi-mutes π β φ ψ Tau-mutes τ δ ϑ ζ

§ 14. A _smooth_ final mute is roughened before a vowel with the rough breathing. A rough mute is not doubled, nor can successive syllables begin with an aspirate. A tau-mute is sometimes dropped before σ, and always before κ; before a different tau-mute it is changed into σ.