A Practical Method in the Modern Greek Language [PDF]

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A PRACTICAL METHOD

IN

THE MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE

BY

EUGENE RIZO-RANGABE

Boston, U.S.A., and London

GINN AND COMPANY, PUBLISHERS C()e ^tbenarutn

1896

preM

Entered at Stationers' Hall Copyright,

1896,

by

GINN AND COMPANY all rights reserved

TO H. R. H.

SOPHIE DUCHESS OF SPARTA

PRINCESS ROYAL OF GREECE THIS

BOOK

IS

BY SPECIAL PERMISSION

MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

PREFACE.

The Greek

language has existed, without very serious

alteration, nearly three

thousand years.

In

its

present form

from that of Xenophon than the language of Xenophon differs from that of Homer. it

differs less

If

my

intention

now used by

had been

to limit myself to the

language

the educated classes in Greece in literature,

in the daily press, in the pulpit,

and elsewhere,

I

should

have had

little else to do than to copy the rules of ancient Greek grammar with some additions and modifications. Some forms of the ancient language, such as the dual num-

ber, the pluperfect, the optative, etc.,

and the general lytical

modern idiom

spirit of the

than the classical form

have become obsolete,

;

the

latter,

is

more ana-

however,

is

still

considered as a general treasury from which everybody

may

borrow, and a model

closely as possible

But

this

more

by

all

perfect

to

men

be constantly imitated as of letters.

language

is

not

sufficient

for

foreigners travelling in Greece and the people,

idioms, as

coming in contact. with whose language is strongly influenced by local it was even in ancient times. In the following

lessons, therefore, I

have been careful to indicate, by the

PREFACE.

VI

abbreviation vlg. (vulgar), placed after the correct forms

used by educated people the forms of the popular language which it is necessary to know, although one should avoid using them, at least in writing.

The pronunciation

of

Modern Greek language

the

certainly not that of the ancient;

but that used

is

the

in

Europe and America is also open to grave It would at least be of great practical advantage objection. if the one now used in Greece were universally adopted, as schools

its

of

adoption would greatly facilitate to scholars the learning

of the

modern language, which

is

so widely used in the

East.

This Method taining rules of

and

exercises.

lesson,

and

its

divided

is

into

thirty lessons,

grammar, examples

The verb

is

each con-

illustrating these rules,

introduced

in

second

the

forms are then developed alternately with

those of the other parts of speech.

All the principles of

Greek grammar are thus presented, care being taken to distinguish everywhere the forms of the literary or polite language from those of the vulgar idiom. are followed

The

lessons

by reading-matter which has been so selected

as to represent

the

language now used

in

Greece by

educated people both in speaking and in writing.

all

The

use of more classical forms and constructions in speaking

would appear

to a

modern Greek pretentious and

affected,

while the introduction of words and forms of the vulgar idiom, although tolerated

in

familiar conversation,

certainly be considered a mark of gross ignorance

or in polite speech.

would

in writing

PREFACE. The almost

vocabularies all

complete

the

book

the Greek words that a beginner

The

Greece.

in

require

which

Vll

English-Greek

is

contain likely

vocabulary

thus take the place of a handy dictionary of the

to

will

Modern

Greek language; in it the English-speaking student will be able to find any Greek word that he may require, either

preparing the exercises of this Method^ or for

in

general use.

The Greek-English

arranged according to the

sequence of grammatical rules

and parts of speech, each the most

common examples

in the lessons will

special

should be committed to

I

of

am

it

vocabulary giving

;

Each

belongs

is

memory

of

these vocabularies

at the time

when

the lesson

prepared.

John Williams White, most valuable suggestions and

greatly indebted to Professor

Harvard University,

for

assistance rendered in the preparation of this book.

EUGENE RIZO-RANGABE. Athens, Greece.

all

every Greek word that occurs also be found in its respective vocabulary

with the English meaning.

to which

vocabularies have been

ERRATA. §

§

194.

196.

Second

line,

read

Fourth

"

"

Fourth

"

omit

yjXTTt^ov.

^XwLaa. iXirt^o).

A PRACTICAL METHOD IN

THE MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE.

A PRACTICAL METHOD 4>«vVJ€VTa.

are

There are seven vowels pronounced as follows

a

like

2.

:

—

:

a in father;

— Vowels. Greek alphabet.

in the

e.g. -rraTrip^

They

father, pron. pateer

yoXa,

;

milk, pron. ghala. e

I wish,

like e in well; e.g. OiX8oY7oi.

4.

at et

ot

^^

There are eight diphthongs, pronounced as follows:

= ^ in r all \

I

— Diphthongs.

well ;

e.g.

alfm, blood, pron.

three like ee in eel ;

oiKo?,

>^^«j-^,

(vlg. yoss).

pron.

emma.

e.g. et^ov,

eekoss

;

—

/

vtos,

had, pron. eehon j^^w,

pron.

;

eedss

A PRACTICAL METHOD before

all

vowels and the consonants like

respectively,

av €V

av,

ev,

eev;

avlee; evSatfXMv, happy, pron.

4>i

X>

'Aj

aftoss;

evthemon;

Before the consonants

pron. eevron.

i

/8,

^

^i^^ ^/^

ivdv