Wiktionary:Ancient Greek transliteration
The prescribed pronunciation systems here reflect the main prestige dialects during the three ancient Greek development periods.
- Classical Greek pronunciation reflects the conservative standard of the Attic-speaking regions of Attica, Euboea and Chalcidice.
- Koine Greek pronunciation reflects the majority mixed dialect of Alexander's empire, especially that of Alexandria, the principle philosophical and literary center of the Hellenistic Greeks, and where Judeo-Christian scripture was translated into Greek.
- Byzantine Greek pronunciation reflects the habits of Constantinople and its close transitional dialects. Features are included until the certain end of Late Antiquity.
Letters
| Letter | Rom. | Classical IPA | Koine IPA | Byzantine IPA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | In Classical polytonic, the length distinction of Template:polytonic (Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[a]" is not valid. See WT:LOL.) and Template:polytonic (Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[aː]" is not valid. See WT:LOL.) is not indicated usually in writing nor in transcription. However, if Template:polytonic needs to be transcribed, Template:unicode suffices. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | See digraph exceptions further down. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Becomes an open vowel in Koine as Template:polytonic fills Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[e]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. among the Hellenists, but Template:polytonic closes again in Byzantine to Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[e]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. as Template:polytonic becomes Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[i]" is not valid. See WT:LOL.. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | N\A | N\A | Not native to Attic-Ionic. If pronounced Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[w]" is not valid. See WT:LOL., Classical Attic kept it silent and Koine adapted it as Template:polytonic. If pronounced Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[β~v]" is not valid. See WT:LOL., both Classical Attic and Koine adapted it as Template:polytonic. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Was metrically considered an interchangeably single or double consonant in Koine. Becomes a short consonant in Byzantine. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Finishes merging with Template:polytonic in Byzantine. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | In Classical polytonic, the length distinction of Template:polytonic (Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[i]" is not valid. See WT:LOL.) and Template:polytonic (Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[iː]" is not valid. See WT:LOL.) is not indicated usually in writing nor in transcription. However, if Template:polytonic needs to be transcribed, Template:unicode suffices. For Classical Template:polytonic, romanize with an apostrophe before the vowel to show its separation from the previous vowel. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Voiced hard Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[ɡ]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. before a voiced consonant or consonant cluster. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Voiced Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[ɡz]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. before a voiced consonant or consonant cluster. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Becomes increasingly confused with Template:polytonic in Koine, but many restricted distinctions remain well into Byzantine. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Voiced hard Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[b]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. before a voiced consonant or consonant cluster. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Normal Template:polytonic is Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[r]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. and transcribed Template:unicode. In Classical, Template:polytonic is voiceless Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[r̥]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. and transcribed Template:unicode, and Template:polytonic or Template:polytonic is voiceless Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[r̥ː]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. and transcribed Template:unicode. All are voiced Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[r]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. in Koine and Byzantine Greek, except in Atticist writings. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Voiced Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[z]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. before Template:polytonic or any other voiced consonant combination. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Voiced hard Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[d]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. before a voiced consonant or consonant cluster. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | In Classical polytonic, the length distinction of Template:polytonic (Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[y]" is not valid. See WT:LOL.) and Template:polytonic (Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[yː]" is not valid. See WT:LOL.) is not indicated usually in writing nor in transcription. However, if Template:polytonic needs to be transcribed, Template:unicode suffices. For Classical Template:polytonic, romanize with an apostrophe before the vowel to show its separation from the previous vowel. In Byzantine, the merge with Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[i]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. creeps along and is complete by the 10th century, except in scattered locales where Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[y]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. is respelt Template:polytonic to reflect that it is no longer considered a standard pronunciation. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Voiced Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[bz]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. before a voiced consonant or consonant cluster. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Becomes frequently confused with Template:polytonic as early as Koine, but in a minority of specific cases (beyond the scope of this guide), the distinction doesn't wholly vanish until far into Byzantine. This is attested from restricted Byzantine respellings of Template:polytonic as Template:polytonic. Template:IPA2 is the standard by the modern period. |
Vowel digraphs
| Spelling | Rom. | Classical IPA | Koine IPA | Byzantine IPA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Merges with Template:polytonic in Koine among the Hellenists and in Alexandria, and treated as an allophone of it from then on. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Classically spelt Template:polytonic. In Koine, becomes collated simply as Template:polytonic. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | See Template:polytonic exceptions further down. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | In Koine, Template:polytonic was typically an allophone of Template:polytonic immediately before other vowels, and an allophone of Template:polytonic everywhere else. Alexandrians treated it as an allophone of Template:polytonic in all circumstances, a trend that would become standard in Byzantine. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | See Template:polytonic exceptions further down. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Classically spelt Template:polytonic. In Koine, becomes collated simply as Template:polytonic. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | See Template:polytonic exceptions further down. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | The Template:polytonic component becomes Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[j]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. in Koine diphthong, and subsequently by late Koine Template:polytonic becomes clearly treated like two consecutive vowels, Template:polytonic, no longer metrically considered a single diphthong. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Classically spelt Template:polytonic. In Koine, becomes collated simply as Template:polytonic. |
| Template:polytonic | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Template:IPA2 | Non-Attic Greek diphthong (originally pronounced Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[ɔːʊ]" is not valid. See WT:LOL.), separated into two separate vowels, Template:polytonic, when loaned into Classical Attic onward. |
Attic consonant digraphs
Digraph additions for Koine and Byzantine
These clusters were not native to Classical Attic and were thus very rare until Koine, so their Classical pronunciations in this table are based on Attic phonetic rules. Unusual consonant clusters were routinely used in the Septuagint and the New Testament.
αυ/ευ/ηυ exceptions
This table uses Template:polytonic as an example, but the same principles apply to Template:polytonic and Template:polytonic, with Template:polytonic and Template:polytonic instead of Template:polytonic.
Byzantine exceptions
| Spelling | Romanization | IPA | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (V)ον/(V)ος | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | If Template:polytonic comes immediately after another vowel, the unstressed Template:polytonic typically becomes silent in these combinations. Byzantines occasionally respelt Template:polytonic as Template:polytonic, and Template:polytonic in particular was confused with Template:polytonic. | ||
| ε(V)/αι(V) | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Template:polytonic and Template:polytonic are pronounced Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[i]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. before vowels. Byzantines occasionally respelt Template:polytonic as Template:polytonic. | ||
| ουε/ουαι | Template:unicode | Template:IPA2 | Contracts into one vowel sound. Byzantines pronounced it the same as Template:polytonic. | ||
Additional notes
- Rough breathing marks are designated by an h at the front of the word (both in IPA and Romanization). A smooth breathing mark requires no notation. In Koine IPA, it is marked as Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "[(h)]" is not valid. See WT:LOL. because it's already a mostly dead phoneme. In Byzantine IPA, it is totally gone.
- Iota subscripts are Romanized for Classical Greek, but neither pronounced nor Romanized for Koine. In Classical pronunciation an iota subscript is designated by a /j/ following the vowel.
- A diaeresis should be noted in a Romanization with the umlaut set found in the Latin/Roman script set (at the bottom of the editing window).
- In Classical IPA, acute accent is noted by ́ on vowel, circumflex with ̂ . In Koine, both are represented with ˈ at the beginning of corresponding syllable. Accents are not noted in Romanization.
- Macrons should be designated in IPA by the long vowel symbol Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "ː" is not valid. See WT:LOL.. The length distinctions of Template:polytonic, Template:polytonic and Template:polytonic are not noted in Romanizations.
- The Byzantine dialects developed a regular sandhi system, which has largely persisted into Modern Demotic Greek.
- When any two consonants in a cluster are voiceless, then a plosive-plosive or fricative-fricative combination was converted to fricative-plosive pronunciation, while Template:polytonic does not harden in this manner and fricative-Template:polytonic was converted to plosive-Template:polytonic, and existing fricative-plosive and plosive-fricative clusters remained stable. Geminated consonants (e.g. Template:polytonic, Template:polytonic) were exempt from this. Voiced fricatives do not harden into plosives in this manner.
- Voiced-fricative-nasal was changed to voiced-nasal-nasal.
- Nasal-voiceless-fricative dropped the nasal in pronunciation.