 | Help with pronounciation - γ and χ |
| I have heard that these letters are 'gutteral' sounds, but different people say different things about how to pronounce them - obviously it's a lot harder to explain in writing as well. Can anybody help me understand what is correct? |
| Re: Help with pronounciation - γ and χ |
|
There is no exact equivalent in Modern English to the sounds that Modern Greek γ and χ represent. 1) Before the vowel sounds /a/ (spelled α), /o/ (spelled ο or ω), and /u/ (spelled ου), γ and χ are indeed "gutteral". χ is equivalent to the ch in German "Bach" or Scottish "Loch", while γ here is the voiced version of χ. 2) Before the vowel sounds /e/ (spelled ε or αι) and /i/ (spelled ι, η, υ, ει, or οι), γ and χ are palatalized, such that χ is equivalent to the ch in German "ich", that is, somewhat like the English h in "heat", while γ is again the voiced version, somewhat similar to the English y in "yes". Regards, Greg Brush [originally posted Saturday, 17 December 2016, 10:17 AM] |
