Basics of Biblical Greek

Question 1

When do you find the two different forms of sigma?

Answer 1

a. The “final sigma” form ς is written wherever lower-case sigma is the last letter of a word.
b. The normal lower-case form σ is written wherever lower-case sigma is not the last letter of a word.

Question 2

What are the two breathing marks, and when do you find them?

Answer 2

a. The rough breathing mark sounds like the English letter “h.”
b. The smooth breathing mark does not affect pronunciation.
• If the first letter of a word is a vowel or the letter rho, the word has a breathing mark.
• If the first letter of a word is not a vowel or the letter rho, the word does not have a breathing mark.
• If the first letter of a word is upsilon or rho, the breathing mark is always a rough breathing mark.
Otherwise, either a rough breathing mark or a smooth breathing mark could be used, depending upon the word.
• The breathing mark is placed as follows:
• If the word begins with a diphthong, then the breathing mark goes over the second vowel of the diphthong
• Otherwise, the breathing mark goes over the first letter of the word.
• Exception: If the first letter is a capital letter (and not part of a diphthong), the breathing mark goes in
front of the capital letter instead of over it, because there is no room over the capital letter to put a
breathing mark.

Question 3

How does the iota subscript affect pronunciation?

Answer 3

The iota subscript does not affect pronunciation.

Question 4

When is the diaeresis used?

Answer 4

• The diaeresis ( ¨ ) is used over the second of two vowels in a row that normally form a diphthong, but should be
pronounced separately in this particular word. For example, in English, “Noel” as a man’s name has one
syllable and rhymes with “mole” because “oe” forms a diphthong in English. “Noël” as a woman’s name,
however, has two syllables and is pronounced as “no el” because the diaeresis over the “e” indicates that “oe”
does not form a diphthong in this word.

Question 5

What is a gamma nasal, and how is it pronounced?

Answer 5

A gamma nasal is the letter gamma γ when followed by gamma γ, kappa κ, xi ξ, or chi χ. In other words, it is the first letter of the consonant clusters γγ,γκ, γξ, or γχ.
A gamma nasal is pronounced like the English letter “n.”
• Therefore, the consonant clusters with a gamma nasal are pronounced as follows: γγ as “ng,” γκ as “nk,”
gx as “γξ,” and γχ as “nch.”