Section 1: Letters

A SHORT GREEK GRAMMAR.

SECTION I.

OF LETTERS

1. THE Letters in Greek are Twenty-four: —

Their Figure. Their Name. Their Power.

A a Alpha a

B b Beta b

G g Gamma g

D d Delta d

E e Epsilon e short

Z z Zeta z

H h Eta e long

Q q Theta th

I i Iota I

K k Kappa k

L l Lambda l

M m Mu m

N n Nu n

X x Xi x

O o Omicron o short

P p Pi p

R r Rho r

S s or v final Sigma s

T t Tau t

U u Upsilon u

F f Phi ph

C c Chi ch

Y y Psi ps

W w Omega o long

2. Seven of these are vowels, a, e, h, i, o, u, w; of which h, w, are long; e, o, short; a, i, u, are doubtful.

3. There are nine dipthongs; of which, ai, au, ei, eu, oi, ou, are proper; hu, ui, wu, improper. The dipthongs, ai, au, oi, are changeable; ei, eu, ou, are not.

4. Seven of the consonants are called semi-vowels; of which z, x, y, are double consonants; l, m, n, r, liquids.

5. The rest are mutes; of which p, k, t, are termed lenes; b, g, d, middles; f, c, q, aspirates.

6. P, b, f, are analogous to each other; so are k, g, c; and t, d, q.

7. A lene consonant, when its vowel is cut off, before an aspirate, is changed into an aspirate; as ejf’ w|

8. Two lenes are so changed before an aspirate; as νύχθ’ ὁλην, for νύκτα ὁλην.

9. Oujk before an aspirate becomes oujc.

10. Οὑτω, ἀχρι, and μέχρι, have v added, if a vowel follows.

11. An aspirate is scarce ever changed.

12. The letter g, before g, k, x, or c, sounds ng; as ἀγγελος.

13. The letter n is changed into g, before g, k, x, or c.

14. The letter n is changed into m, before b, m, p, f, y.

15. The letter n is changed into l, r, s, before two consonants.

16. Every initial vowel has a spirit prefixed.

17. This is either lene, as ὀρος; or aspirate, as ὁρος.

18. An initial u, or r, is always aspirated; as ὑλη, ῤίς.

19. If two rhos meet in the middle of a word, the first has a lene spirit, the second an aspirate; as πόῤῥω.

20. A semicolon is marked thus (?).

21. A note of interrogation thus (;).

22. A letter is called pure, which has a vowel before it; impure, which has a consonant.