Lesson 2

Question 1

Every vowel or diphthong at the beginning of a word has either the rough breathing (῾) or the smooth breathing ( ᾽) mark.

Answer 1

The rough breathing shows that the vowel is aspirated, i.e. that it is preceded by the sound of h, as
ἡ-μέ-ρα, day
υἱ-ος, son
Ἑλ-λη-νι-κός, Greek

the smooth breathing shows that the vowel is not aspirated, as
ἄ-γω, I lead
Ἄρ-τε-μις, Artimis
ᾤ-κη-σα, I dwelt

Question 2

A Greek word has as many syllables as it has separate vowels or diphthongs. A Syllable is long by nature when it has a long vowel or diphthong.

Answer 2

In dividing a word into syllables, single consonants and combinations of consonants which can begin a word are, with few exceptions, placed at the beginning of the syllable; other combinations of consonants are divided. Thus
φο-βε-ρός, frightful
ὁ-πλῑ-της, hoplite,
but ἁρ-πά-ζω, I plunder

Question 3

Elision - A short final vowel may be dropped when the next word begins with a vowel, whether this has the rough or the smooth breathing

Answer 3

An apostrophe marks the omission.

Thus ἐπ’αὐτόν, against him, for ἐπι αὐτόν.

Question 4

v movable - Most words ending in σι, and all the verbs of the third person ending in ε, generally add ν, when the next word begins with a vowel

Answer 4

as ἔχυοσιν οἰκίᾱς, they have houses
εἶχεν οἰκίᾱν, he had a house.
It may also be added at the end of a sentence.

Question 5

Three accents:

the acute (´)

Answer 5

as ἀ-γα-θός, good
ἡ-μέ-ρα, day
Ἄρ-τε-μις, Artemis
ᾤ-κη-σα, I dwelt

Question 6

Three accents:

the grave (`)

Answer 6

as σκη–ναὶ ἀ-γα-θαι, good tents

Question 7

Three accents:

the circumflex ( ῀ )

Answer 7

as σκη-νῆς, of a tent
ὦ–δε, thus
ἐν σκη-ναῖς, in tents

Question 8

Accent Placements

Answer 8

The acute can stand only on one of the last three syllables of a word, the circumflex only on one of the last two, and the grave only on the last.

Question 9

The circumflex can stand only on a long syllable.

Answer 9

When long ᾱ, ῑ, ῡ have the circumflex, the long mark is omitted, and the are written ᾶ, ῖ, ῦ.

Question 10

The antepenult, if accented, takes the acute, as ἄν-θρω-πος, man

Answer 10

but it can have no accent if the last syllable is long or ends in ξ or ψ,
as ἀ-νθρώ-που, of a man

Question 11

An accented penult is circumflexed when it is long while the last syllable is short

Answer 11

as δῶ-ρον, gift,
Otherwise, it takes the acute,
as δώ–ρου, of a gift,
χώ-ρᾱ, land, country.

Question 12

Final αι and οι are counted as short in determining the accent

Answer 12

as ἀ-μα-ξαι, wagons
χῶ-ραι, lands,
except in the optative, and the adverb οἴ-κοι, at home

Question 13

An accented ultima has the acute when short, as ἀ-γα-θός, good

Answer 13

the acute or circumflex when long, as σκη-νή, tent, σκη-νῆς, of a tent.

Question 14

A word which, like σκη–νή, tent, has the acute on the last syllable is called the oxytone (i.e. sharp-tones)

Answer 14

An oxytone changes its acute to the grave before other words in the same sentence, as σκη–νὴ ἀ-γα-θῃ, a good tent.

Question 15

proclitics

Answer 15

Some monosyllables have no accent and are closely attached to the following word, as ἐν σκη-νῇ, in a tent

Question 16

An enclitic is a word which loses its own accent and is pronounced as if it were part of the preceding word, as ᾿ἄν-θρω-ποι τε.

Answer 16

whoop whoop!

Question 17

The Greek uses the comma and period as in English. It also has a colon, ( · ) a point above the line, which is equivalent to the English colon and semicolon

Answer 17

The mark of interrogation is ( ; ), it is the same as the English semicolon. So in Greek, “ ;” is equal to the English “?”.