of the Greek Language. 



^61 



agree 



Greek writers made use of the letter /3 and the diphthong ©y, in- 

 differently, to represent that letter. Hence Virgil was called 

 sometimes Bs^yiX^oj and sometimes 'OusoytKiog ; Valerius was 



either BaXs^<05 or 'OvctXi^iog. Now, as the learned all 

 that this diphthong was sounded like the French ou, or the English 

 00 f which is also the pronunciation of the Modern GreeJcsJ it 

 follows, that, whether the two Moman letters B and V sounded 

 alike or not, the Greek ^ and the diphthong ov must have been 

 alike ; and consequently, that the Beta must have represented the 



K 



V 



as much 



as the diphtho 



And it is certainly a striking fact, that this d 



ig 6v did. 

 of orthog- 



raphy, in writing foreign names, has descended to the Mod^ 



em Greeks ; for when they write names having a V (or a WJ iu 

 them, they sometimes use /3 and sometimes oy, as may be seen in the 

 following instances, taken from JIfelJetais' Geography;* some of 

 which, however familiar to us in our own language, will hardly 

 be recognized in a Greek dress : 



V rendered by /3 and ov : 

 Bsvsricc Venice 



BsgiraiX},sg or *Ou£|<faX<a, Versailles 

 Bs^fAovr Vermont 



Bipyma, or 'Ovt^yivict, 



JlevvciTiCuvla. or UsyiiiriXovaviu, Pennsylvania, etc 



Virginia 



* 



* MsAet/^u ysofy^xiptA TntXxU kx] n<tj etc. the second cditionj ia 4 xoU. 8vo. 



printed at Venice in 180 



t 



/ 



35 



X 



