AW
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
λόγος
Starting with NT Greek
(Nashville, TN: B&H, 2020)
Benjamin L. Merkle
Robert L. Plummer
AW
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
λόγος
The Alphabet
Chapter 1
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
• The Alphabet
• Pronunciation
• Vowels
• Diphthongs
• Breathing Marks
• Accents Marks
• Punctuation Marks
• Vocabulary
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
• The Alphabet
• Pronunciation
• Vowels
• Diphthongs
• Breathing Marks
• Accent Marks
• Punctuation Marks
• Vocabulary
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
Lower Upper
Case Case Name Pronunciation
α ΑAlpha “ah” as in father
β Β Beta “b” as in ball
γ Γ Gamma “g” as in gift
δ Δ Delta “d” as in dog
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
Lower Upper
Case Case Name Pronunciation
ε Ε Epsilon “eh” as in echo
ζ Ζ Zeta “dz” as in kudzu
η ΗEta “ay” as in ate
θ ΘTheta “th” as in thin
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
Lower Upper
Case Case Name Pronunciation
ι Ι Iota “ee” as in ski
κ Κ Kappa “k” as in key
λ ΛLambda “l” as in lock
μ Μ Mu “m” as in mom
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
Lower Upper
Case Case Name Pronunciation
ν ΝNu “n” as in nail
ξ Ξ Xi “ks” as in fox
ο ΟOmicron “aw” as in often
π ΠPi “p” as in pond
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
Lower Upper
Case Case Name Pronunciation
ρ Ρ Rho “r” as in rhyme
σ/ς* Σ Sigma “s” as in sand
τ Τ Tau “t” as in tap
υ ΥUpsilon “oo” as in boot
*σ is used at the beginning and middle of Greek words
(σύv,
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
Lower Upper
Case Case Name Pronunciation
φ ΦPhi “ph” as in phone
χ ΧChi “ch” as in ache
ψ ΨPsi “ps” as in oops
ω Ω Omega “ōh” as in obey
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
• The Alphabet
• Pronunciation
• Vowels
• Diphthongs
• Breathing Marks
• Accent Marks
• Punctuation Marks
• Vocabulary
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Pronunciation λόγος
Lower
Case Pronunciation
γγ “ng” as in ring
γκ “ngk” as in drink
γχ “ngch” as in drink
ἄγγελος an-ge-los
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Pronunciation λόγος
Pay Attention
Some letters are easy to confuse with others:
γ→ν ο→σ
ζ→ξ π→τ
θ→φ φ→ ψ
ν→υ
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Pronunciation λόγος
Pay Attention
Some Greek letters resemble letters in the
English alphabet:
η→n υ→u
ν→v χ→x
ρ→p ω→w
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
• The Alphabet
• Pronunciation
• Vowels
• Diphthongs
• Breathing Marks
• Accent Marks
• Punctuation Marks
• Vocabulary
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Vowels λόγος
Short Long Short/Long
ε η α
ο ω ι
υ
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Vowels λόγος
Iota Subscript
When following a long vowel, an iota is written
underneath and is not pronounced.
ᾳ “ah” καρδίᾳ
ῃ “ay” ἀγάπῃ
ῳ “oh” λόγῳ
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
• The Alphabet
• Pronunciation
• Vowels
• Diphthongs
• Breathing Marks
• Accent Marks
• Punctuation Marks
• Vocabulary
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Diphthongs λόγος
Definition
Two vowels
that are pronounced as
one sound.
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Diphthongs λόγος
Lower
Case Pronunciation
αι “eye” as in aisle
αυ “ow” as in kraut
ει “ay” as in freight
ευ “yew” as in feud
οι “oi” as in oil
ου “oo” as in soup
υι “we” as in suite
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Diphthongs λόγος
Diaeresis
Placed over the second vowel of a diphthong signifying
that the two vowels are pronounced separately.
αϊ “ah-ee” Κάϊν = Kah-een
ωϋ “ō-oo” Μωϋσῆς = Mō-oo-seys
ιη “ee-ay→yea” Ἰησοῦς = Yea-soós
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
• The Alphabet
• Pronunciation
• Vowels
• Diphthongs
• Breathing Marks
• Accent Marks
• Punctuation Marks
• Vocabulary
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Breathing Marks λόγος
Greek words that start with a vowel always
have a “breathing mark” indicating whether
an “h” is added to the vowel or not.
Smooth breathing mark: ἀ (“ah”)
Rough breathing mark: ἁ (“hah”)
Exception: Rho (ῥ) is the only consonant that regularly takes a
(rough) breathing mark. Also, if a word begins with a diphthong,
the breathing mark appears over the second letter (αἷμα).
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Breathing Marks λόγος
ἁμαρτία hah-mar-teé-ah sin
ἑπτά hep-táh seven
ἡμέρα hey-mér-ah day
ὁδός hah-dós way/road
ὕδωρ hoó-dōr water
ὡσαννά hō-san-náh hosanna
ῥῆμα ráy-mah word
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
• The Alphabet
• Pronunciation
• Vowels
• Diphthongs
• Breathing Marks
• Accent Marks
• Punctuation Marks
• Vocabulary
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Accent Marks λόγος
ά acute
ὰ grave*
ᾶ circumflex
* Pronounced “grauve” like the pale purple color “mauve.”
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Accent Marks λόγος
Syllables
Antepenult – before next-to-last
Penult – next-to last
Ultima – last
antepenult penult ultima
ἄν- θρω- πος
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Accent Marks λόγος
Syllables
Acute (ά) – last 3 syllables
Circumflex (ᾶ) – last 2 syllables
(long)
Grave (ὰ) – last syllable only
In general, if the ultima becomes long, the accent cannot be on the
antepenult (ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπων)
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
• The Alphabet
• Pronunciation
• Vowels
• Diphthongs
• Breathing Marks
• Accent Marks
• Punctuation Marks
• Vocabulary
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Punctuation Marks λόγος
Early New Testament manuscripts were
written in all capital letters, with no spaces
between words and no punctuation!
ΕΝΑΡΧΗΗΝΟΛΟΓΟΣΚΑΙΟΛΟΓΟΣΗΝ
ΠΡΟΣΤΟΝΘΕΟΝΚΑΙΘΕΟΣΗΝΟΛΟΓΟΣ
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Punctuation Marks λόγος
This is a page from
the Chester Beatty
papyri (p46).
You are looking at
the first page of
Hebrews!
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Punctuation Marks λόγος
ΕΝΑΡΧΗΗΝΟΛΟΓΟΣΚΑΙΟΛΟΓΟΣΗΝ
ΠΡΟΣΤΟΝΘΕΟΝΚΑΙΘΕΟΣΗΝΟΛΟΓΟΣ
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν
πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
Modern Greek NTs do not capitalize the first word of each sentence. Capitalization
only occurs (1) in the title of NT books (every letter capitalized), (2) proper names,
(3) direct quotations, and (4) words that begin a new paragraph.
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Punctuation Marks λόγος
Modern Punctuation Marks
. α. period (.)
, α, comma (,)
. α. semicolon (;)
; α; question mark (?)
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
The Alphabet λόγος
• The Alphabet
• Pronunciation
• Vowels
• Diphthongs
• Breathing Marks
• Accent Marks
• Punctuation Marks
• Vocabulary
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Vocabulary λόγος
ἀγάπη, ἡ , love
γῆ, ἡ, earth, land, ground (geology)
ζωή, ἡ, life (zoo, zoology)
φωνή, ἡ, voice, sound (phonetics,
phonograph, phone)
ἀλήθεια, ἡ, truth
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Vocabulary λόγος
ἁμαρτία, ἡ, sin (hamartiology)
βασιλεία, ἡ, kingdom, reign (basilica)
δόξα, ἡ, glory, majesty (doxology)
ἐκκλησία, ἡ, congregation, assembly,
church (ecclesiastical)
ἡμέρα, ἡ, day (ephemeral, “for a
day”)
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Vocabulary λόγος
καρδία, ἡ, heart (cardiologist)
δέ, and, but, now
καί, and, even, also
μέν, on the one hand, indeed
ὁ, ἡ, τό, the