By the way, I've realized today that the question about ασυγκριτως made no sense. I've noticed that there is the same combination of letters in Πάτερ ἡμῶν: εἰσενέγκῃς.
There is just too much information entering my head, so it gets a little confusing. Anyways, I've got recording of Simonopetra monks chanting Αξιον εστιν, so that issue has been resolved.
As for the prayer to the guardian angel, it is not as much of an issue to get an evening prayer per se, but that the one I've first sent you is kind of close to my heart. But, as I have said before, it's not a big deal.
I think that I've got enough material for now to stop bugging you; at least for the time being.
I've let you rest for a few weeks... So I hope you won't mind helping me again a little. I think my Greek is progressing really well - or at least based on the judgment of my Greek neigbour, but I am having a little issue with the dipthongs.
Actually, it's just one thing in particular. There are cases in which both vowels are pronounced, as if it weren't a dipthong, but I don't know how to distinguish these. I know they are supposed to have a double dot above yota, or something like that, but I just wasn't able to figure it out on my own. Could you write me a few examples, with a brief explanation, please? Ideally, those would be examples from the Scriptures (New Testament or Psalter), or from the prayerbook, as those are the sources I've been learning from so far.
It seems that I haven't encountered αϊ much in prayers, or passages of the Scriptures, that I have read. I just wasn't sure when there is a breathing and an accent above yota, whether it makes any difference - obviously not, as you still need those "German dots" above. Which was, actually, very stupid of me, because we have those very same dots in Church Slavonic - so the Germans were shopping around! As far as how such an obvious mistake on my part could occur, I think I've got informationoverloaditis. And I'm going to use some medicine right now. What a vaccine cannot cure, a beer can!
By the way, I just found this on Myriobiblos: Προσευχητάρι του Αγ. Νεκταρίου. So, there is an online prayerbook in Greek!
One thing you should know besides the diairesis (and perhaps this is what you asked for in the first place): When the first letter of the diphthong is accented (with a circumflex, grave or accute accent, independently of breathing marks) then the diphthong is read as two distinct letters, and diairesis ( ¨ , diairesis means "division") may or may not be written in the second letter. When the second letter is accented, or when none of the letters is accented, then, if the letters are to be read separately, diairesis has to be written. E.g.:
- "Μωϋσῆς" - none accented, they are read separately, diairesis is written. - "ἔνδεια" - none accented, they are read as one vowel (a somehow longer i), diairesis is not written. - "βαρεῖα", or "πλείστοις" - second accented, they are read as a single vowel (a somehow longer i), no diairesis of course. - "ἄυλος" or "ἄϋλος" - first accented, they are read separately, diairesis can be written or not. - "ἀΰλῳ" - second accented, they are read separately, diairesis has to be written.
[I notice that we continue this discussion in the Lord's prayer thread, while it should be on a separate thread]
Translating the Jesus prayer
Posted - 01 Oct 2009 : 20:51:07
