Elementary New Testament Greek, 2014a

Since it is a matter of some dispute (and of little interpretive value to know) just
how ancient speakers pronounced these accents, we will handle all three accents
identically, as stress marks (just as we stress certain syllables in English words).
Notice the following English words, and the differing locations of the stress:
animal
1: Reading Greek Aloud
stressed on the third syllable
(counting from the end)
A-ni-mal
(antepenult)
stressed on the second syllable
constitution
con-sti-TU-tion (penult)
(counting from the end)
balloon stressed on the last syllable bal-LOON (ultima)
If we listen carefully to our own English pronunciation, we will notice that we
not only add force to a stressed syllable, but we simultaneously raise the pitch as
well. The TU of “constitution” is not only pronounced with more force than other
syllables, but is higher in “tone” as if being “sung” as a higher musical note. As you
learn to pronounce Greek, it may be helpful to “pound and sing” as you work through
a sentence: pound the desk on the accented syllable to help you add force at that very
point, and “sing” that same syllable at a higher pitch.
Though most Greek words carry an accent mark, some don’t. Similarly, certain
English words often lose their stress and ow smoothly into the words around them.
When we read John 1:1 aloud in English, “In the beginning was the Word,” we
usually place no stress on either article (“the”), as if the sentence were written, “In
thebeginning was theWord.” Notice how each article slides unstressed right into the
following word without pause.
In Greek we nd two opposite strategies for such pronunciation mergers:
Proclitics: One set of words, the “forward leaners,” will join themselves
with the following word in pronunciation as if there were no space
between them. [e.g. is read together as ]
Enclitics: Another set of words, the “backward leaners,” usually
join themselves with the preceding word in pronunciation as if there
were no space between them. [e.g. is read together as
] Under certain circumstances you will see an enclitic with
its own accent. Also, you will sometimes see that an enclitic appears to
have thrown its stress backwards onto the previous word, causing it to
appear with two accents marks (as in our example here).
For Reference Only; No Memorization Needed:
The number of Greek proclitics and enclitics is not terribly great. At some later point
you might want to know just which words ll each category. The lists below will
satisfy your curiosity:
Proclitics:
Enclitics: μ μ μ (all forms of this indenite
pronoun) μ (in all forms of the
present indicative, except 2nd singular) μ (in all forms of the present
indicative, except 2nd singular). When “leaning backward,” these words
appear without accent marks.
Punctuation Marks
As noted above, ancient Greek manuscripts did not have punctuation marks.
The editors of modern Greek texts add punctuation marks as an aide for readers.
Sometimes, of course, these decisions are quite subjective and involve disputed
interpretations. It is important to realize, then, that the punctuation marks we see
in our modern texts don’t authoritatively convey what punctuation an ancient writer
might have used, had such devices been available at that time. [For famous examples
of ambiguity in interpreting the implied punctuation of ancient texts, compare
different English translations, and their marginal notes, at John 1:3-4 or John 14:1-2.]
Greek
Mark Appearance Functional Equivalent Sense
1 English Comma English Comma Weak Break
2 Raised English Period English Colon Strong Break
3 . English Period English Period Very Strong Break
4 ; English Semicolon
English Question
Mark
Inquiry
Notice that two kinds of English punctuation marks are not used in modern Greek
texts: exclamation marks and quotation marks. Their appearance in Modern English
translations of the Bible involves interpretive discernment by modern editors.
For example, where does the “speech” Peter begins in Galatians 2:14 really end?
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