AND BYZANTINE GREEK. 35 



ignorant of the language of the later periods, affirm unhesitatingly that what is com- 

 monly called modern Greek is a horrible jargon, differing from ancient Greek in every 

 particular except orthography. This conflict of opinions naturally gives rise to the 

 following question : What is the relation which modern Greek bears to ancient 

 Greek 1 



If we would inquire into this relation, Ave must begin with observing that the 

 identity of two languages necessarily implies identity of sound, of inflection, of mean- 

 ing, of syntax, of phraseology, of accent, of rhythm, of history, and, lastlj^ of orthog- 

 raphy. This being premised, we proceed to consider each one of these particulars 

 with reference to ancient Greek and modern Greek. 



1. Sound or Pronunciation. The modern pronunciation is in many respects different 

 from the ancient. Thus, 



(a) The vowels H and T, which originally represented two different sounds, are now 

 each pronounced like I ; as ktjto^, Tidr]ju,i, -^frvx^v, Kv^ia, sounded ^/to?, ridi/zi, -^txh kI/mu. 



(b) The classical diphthongs are now monophthongs ; except AT, ET, HT, SIT, in 

 which the T has the power of B or $ ; as avptov, ev6v<;, rjiixofit]^, b)VT6<:, pronounced 



a^piov, e^Oi^, c(j)xo/it.v, o<firo<;. 



(c) All the modern vowel-sounds are isochronous ; that is, no distinction is made 

 between long and short. 



(d) The rough breathing, in ancient Greek, was strong enough to cause the smooth 

 mute that came immediately after it to be changed into its corresponding aspirate. In 

 modern Greek it is equivalent to the smooth breathing; as inre'p, e^co, pronounced 

 lirep, e^o. Here, however, the modern language luay be said to coincide with the 

 Asiatic iEolic. 



(e) When a consonant was doubled in pronunciation, it was doubled also in writing. 

 In modern Greek, when a consonant is doubled in writing, only the first one is 

 sounded ; as acpdWa, aCppoia, pronounced acpdxo, alpia. 



Were the Greeks of the present day to adopt the practice of spelling their words 

 in the simplest manner, as they pronounce them, there would be something like ocular 

 demonstration of the departure of the modern pronunciation from the ancient standard. 

 In order to enable the reader to see at a glance the difference between the two systems, 

 we subjoin here the beginning of the Gospel of Mark written according to the 

 modern system of pronunciation, side by side with the original. 



^Ap-)(i] Tou €vajye\lou ^hicrov Xpiarov vlov ■^PX'' ''""" e/SayyeXtoi; Iiaou Xpicrrov lov 



Tov deov, (u? jeypaTTTai ev rot? 7rpo<f)i']Taii;, rov Oeov, 09 yeypaTrre ev T(9 •7vpo(j)iTe<;, 

 'IBov eyo) uTTOdTeWo} rov wyyeKov jmov irpo IBov ejo cnroffTeXo tov ayyekov fiov irpo 



