Attic Pronunciation

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Nobody
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Attic Pronunciation

Post by Nobody »

How do you interpret that?
Σύμφωνα δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ ἑπτακαίδεκα· β γ δ ζ θ κ λ μ ν ξ π ρ σ τ φ χ ψ. σύμφωνα δὲ λέγονται, ὅτι αὐτὰ μὲν καθ᾽ ἑαυτὰ φωνὴν οὐκ ἔχει, συντασσόμενα δὲ μετὰ τῶν φωνηέντων φωνὴν ἀποτελεῖ. τούτων ἡμίφωνα μέν ἐστιν ὀκτώ· ζ ξ ψ λ μ ν ρ σ. ἡμίφωνα δὲ λέγεται, ὅτι παρ᾽ ὅσον ἧττον τῶν φωνηέντων εὔφωνα καθέστηκεν ἔν τε τοῖς μυγμοῖς καὶ σιγμοῖς. ἄφωνα δέ ἐστιν ἐννέα· β γ δ κ π τ θ φ χ. ἄφωνα δὲ λέγεται, ὅτι μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων ἐστὶν κακόφωνα, ὥσπερ ἄφωνον λέγομεν τὸν τραγωιδὸν τὸν κακόφωνον. τούτων ψιλὰ μέν ἐστι τρία, κ π τ, δασέα τρία, θ φ χ, μέσα δὲ τούτων τρία, β γ δ. μέσα δὲ εἴρηται, ὅτι τῶν μὲν ψιλῶν ἐστι δασύτερα, τῶν δὲ δασέων ψιλότερα. καὶ ἔστι τὸ μὲν β μέσον τοῦ π καὶ φ, τὸ δὲ γ μέσον τοῦ κ καὶ χ, τὸ δὲ δ μέσον τοῦ θ καὶ τ. ἀντιστοιχεῖ δὲ τὰ δασέα τοῖς ψιλοῖς, τῶι μὲν π τὸ φ, οὕτως·
How can b be τὸ μέσον of p and ? Is b δασύτερον of p and ψιλότερον of ?

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jeidsath
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Re: Attic Pronunciation

Post by jeidsath »

English terminology:

gutterals: κ γ χ
labials: π β φ
dentals: τ δ θ

Most people nowadays conclude that δασυτερον and ψιλοτερον refer to aspiration. What the above refers to as middle, we would probably refer to as "voiced."

So:

unvoiced: κ π τ
voiced: γ β δ
aspirated: χ φ θ

The above is from memory, so feel free to correct me.
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

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