Does anyone here speak Greek?

Discussion in 'The Commons' started by Servos, Feb 8, 2013.

  1. Servos

    Servos Active Member

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    How much is Greek language popular between Anglicans?

    Do you think that there is a need to learn Greek at all, and read Holy Gospel and eastern fathers in original?

    Can someone of you read or speak Greek?
     
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  2. The Dark Knight

    The Dark Knight Active Member

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    It is somewhat popular, in my experience. Knowledge of Greek is very helpful. I studied Greek for three years, but I'm out of practice!
     
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  3. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    I've tried but having to start with a completely new alphabet proved too tough for me. I've compromised and have been boning up on Latin instead. So I guess its as the Romans say: est omnia mihi lingua graeca :p
     
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  4. Toma

    Toma Well-Known Member Anglican

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    There were entire learned treatises written entirely in Greek in the "old days". Our great scholars and divines were fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew (in addition to English). This was a mandate of all colleges and universities. It's easy to find whole volumes of the Church Fathers published in Greek by Anglican scholars in the 17th & 18th centuries. Today it has fallen away somewhat, with the dumbing-down of culture & education.

    I hope to learn Greek, as I believe it is more beautiful than Latin. It has all four grammatical cases and three genders in common with German, my favourite language. :D The alphabet just takes some memorization...
     
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  5. Servos

    Servos Active Member

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    Flying over Greece...
     
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  6. Jeff F

    Jeff F Well-Known Member

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    From what I remember though, Koine Greek is nothing like modern day Greek, with only a few common words (artos & oinos......bread and wine) remaining the same.
     
  7. Servos

    Servos Active Member

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    If someone is good in modern Greek he can with little work read and understand Koine.

    Bread & wine are in modern Greek psomi & krasi.
    But modern Greek word for baker is artopios from Koine artos. And modern Greek word for alcohol, spirit is oinopneyma from Koine oinos.
     
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  8. Jeff F

    Jeff F Well-Known Member

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    Possibly. I wondered this same thing several years ago and questioned a Greek born Gastroenterologist that my wife worked for, and even with her fluent grasp of Greek, she could not interpret Koine.

    Jeff
     
  9. Servos

    Servos Active Member

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    Reading the Epistle of Apostol Paul in Greek in Orthodox Eucharist (Athens, Greece).



    Deacon (from 1:05):
    Sofia
    Wisdom.

    Reader:
    Pros Galatas Epistolis Pavlu to anagnosma
    The reading is from the Epistle of Apostle Paul to the Galatians

    Deacon: Proshomen
    Let us be attentive.

    Reader:
    Adelfi, ote ilthe to pliroma tu hronu, eksapestilen o Theos ton Ion aftu, genomenon ek gynecos, genomenon ipo nomon, ina tus ipo nomon eksagorasi ina tin iothesian apolavomen.
    Brethren, when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons.

    Oti de este ii, eksapestilen o Theos to Pnevma tu Iu avtu is tas cardias imon crazon: Avva o Patir
    And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying: Abba, Father.

    Oste uketi i dulos, al ios; i de ios, ke klironomos Theu dia Isu Christu.
    Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Jesus Christ.
     
  10. Mercy

    Mercy Member

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    I'm learning Modern Greek. I find that there is a lot of mutual intelligibility with Ancient Greek.
     
  11. Servos

    Servos Active Member

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    Γειά σου Μέρσυ, χαίρομαι πάρα πολύ. :)
    Μιλάς καλά ελληνικά;

    Συμφωνώ.
     
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  12. Mercy

    Mercy Member

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    Γεια σου, Σέρβο! Δεν μιλώ πολύ καλά ελληνικά, αλλά μου αρέσει η γλώσσα, και θέλω να μάθω. :)
     
  13. Servos

    Servos Active Member

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    Saint Paul's Hymn to Love



    Adelfi, imis este soma Christu ke meli ek merus. Ke us men etheto o Theos en ti Eklisia, proton apostolus, devteron prophitas, triton didaskalus epita dynamis, ita charismata iamaton, antilimpsis kivernisis, geni gloson.
    Bretheren, ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, knowledge of tongues.

    Mi pantes apostoli, mi pantes prophite, mi pandes didaskali, mi pandes dynamis, mi pantes charismata ehusin iamaton, mi pandes gloses lalusin, mi pandes dierminevusin. Zilute de ta charismata ta mizona. Ke eti kath' ypervolin imin odon diknimi.
    Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

    Ean tes gloses ton athropon lalo ke ton angelon, agapin de mi eho, gegona halkos ihon i cymvalon alalazon. Ke ean eho prophitian ke ido ta mystiria panda ke pasan tin gnosin ke eho pasan tin pistin oste ori methistanin, agapin de mi eho, uden imi.
    Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.

    Ke ean psomiso panda ta iparhonda mu ke ean parado to soma mu ina kavhisome, agapin de mi eho uden ofelume.
    And though I bestow all my goods, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

    I agapi makrothimi, hristevete i agapi, u zili, i agapi u perperevete, u fisiunde, uk ashimoni, u ziti ta eavtis, u paroksinete, u logizete to kakon, u heri epi ti adikia, sinheri de ti alithia, panda stegi, panda pistevi, panda elpizi, panda ipomeni. I agapi udepote ekpipti.
    Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth.
     
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  14. Scottish Knight

    Scottish Knight Well-Known Member

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    I've started learning the Greek alphabet! Looking forward to studying it at college this year. Maybe if there's enough of us beginners who want to learn koine greek perhaps we can get toegther and practice with each other :)
     
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  15. Servos

    Servos Active Member

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    I agree :)
     
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  16. Old Christendom

    Old Christendom Well-Known Member

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    I took three years of Modern Greek in the university. I can still read it and I know how to form basic sentences but that's about it.

    As for Ancient Greek, I have a few notions. My Latin teacher taught me those when I was back in highschool.
     
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  17. Fotis Greece

    Fotis Greece New Member

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    Well I can speak Greek. It is my mother language and believe me it is the best language to use in theological matters. I dont say that because I'm greek. But If you read the Bible in greek you will see how much more enlighting it is. With Greek you can express spirituality much easier than other languages. If you have an opportunity to study Greek either Ancient Greek or Modern... do it. I have studied Ancient Greek and Latin too. I was englightened so much. Ο Θεος να σας ευλογει ολους!
     
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  18. Alcibiades

    Alcibiades Member

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    How does the old saying go? The Greeks invented philosophical systems, the Romans invented roads.

    I think it is true that greek is a delightfully supple, more open-ended language than Latin which does lend itself rather helpfully to the contemplation of mysteries.

    Always found myself getting horribly muddled between tense, aspect and mood however.
     
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  19. The Hackney Hub

    The Hackney Hub Well-Known Member

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    Learning it.
     
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  20. seagull

    seagull Active Member

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    (Sorry, I did a reply but it seems to have got lost so here we go again. Hope you don't get this twice!).

    I learnt Greek at school, but not very well. It didn't really help with the alphabet, which has changed somewhat. I learnt this when I bought a Greek language newspaper in Cyprus to get the English football results: Ipswich Town 2 Derby County 0 took a bit of deciphering.

    Before going to Greece we always use a CD/book course ("Instant Greek") to keep up our basic Greek.

    On church matters, older CofE priests (say over fifty) had to learn New Testament Greek, and many found it challenging. One priest I know who did not find it too difficult is a well-educated Oxford graduate. On one occasion he officiated with an Orthodox priest at a wedding where one party was CofE, the other Orthodox. At the last moment he was asked to read the lesson (in Greek). This he did with great aplomb, but unfortunately no-one, Greek or English, could understand him.

    A RC priest I know (now about sixty) says that Greek was not part of his training. Incidentally, if you go to the RC cathedral in Athens you'll notice that the older inscriptions are all in the Latin script, but the newer ones in Greek. I'm told that this is because the RC Church does not want to be seen as a "foreign" Church there. But you won't see much (if any) Greek in the CofE church of St Paul's in the Philhellene Street.