AND BYZANTINE GREEK. 75 



We see now why, in the lexicon of Suiclas, words beginning with an AI are put 

 between A and E. 



It must be added here, that, in modern Greek, AI has the sound of E. 



§ 52. 

 The Diphthongs AT, EY, HY, flT. 



With regard to the ancient pronunciation of the diphthongs AT, ET, it ;s to be 

 remarked here that the Eomans represented them by AU, EU, not by AY, EY ; from 

 which it is easy to see that T, in this case, was not sounded in the same manner as 

 when it stood by itself"'^ 



In modern Greek, the T in the diphthongs AT, ET, HT, SIT has the sound of B or $. 

 Bef(9re a vowel, or a semivowel (B, F, A, Z, A, M, N, P) it is equivalent to B ; as kuvco, 

 evyevri^, ev^cota, Kavfia, €VV7], pronounced Ka^a, e/3yei'/?, i^^ota, KajSfia, ijSvL In all other 

 cases it has the force of $ ; as ev, avTo<;, KavKo<;, evfetvo?, eviroda, Kav(n<i, riv-xpfi-qv, ev-\^vxp<i, 

 pronounced ej>, a<^r6^, Kd(f>KO's, ecp^cvo^, e^inla, KacfxrK, ic})'^ofiiv, e(p-\jn^o<i. The reader Avill 

 observe that the modern pronunciation of these diphthongs introduces combinations of 

 consonantal sounds which are inadmissible in ancient Greek. 



§ 53. 

 The Diphthong EL 



In the following epigram of Callimachus, e^et apjjarently rhymes with v-al'x^i,. 

 Callim. Epigr. 29 



Ava-aviT], av Se vatp^t koXo'; Ka\o<i • aX\a irpiv enreiv 

 TovTo (Ta^w<;, H^^ (jirjai rt?, ^X\os e^^ei. 



Those who confound assonance with rhyme unhesitatingly assert that in the time of 

 Callimachus, that is, in the third centui-y before the Christian era, there was no differ- 

 ence between the pronunciation of EI and I. Now, if val'x^i was pronounced pre- 

 cisely like e ;)j; e 6, we must admit that a\\o<i was pronounced like K-a\6^; and that 

 a trochee was the same as an iambus or a pyrrhic ; which is untenable. 



Aitrxo^i 8ia TJjs AI Si^floyyou. TheOGNOST. Can. A 'H E (7DXXa/3ij iv an\fi Kai ukii/ijtw Xe'|et tt/jo SotXoO oix 



avkxeTai rtjv &ia Ttjs AI Si(p66yyov ypa^rjv • oiov e^o), dXe^o) 'Searrjji.uaTai to ai\j/a (nlpprnia Kal to al^tjos 



ovofia Sia TTJs AI dt(f>d6yyov ypac^rf/ifi/oc. Can. H 'H AI dicpdoyyos ev ap^fj Xe^foiy cnravias (vpicTKiTat, o>s ?}^(i to 

 al8a> prjp-ii .... to 8' aXXa 5ia ToO E ■^iXoC, eSoi To iaOiai, K. T. X. 



*^^ Teeentian. Maurus, 426 AU ei EU cum copulamus, U secundum jimgimus, In vicem Graecae : 

 quod Y subdita vocalis U. A^\ AU tamen capere videtur saepe productum sonum, Auspices cum dico et 

 aurum, sive Graeeus av pio v . 



