Why Modern Greek Pronunciation is Closest to Koine Greek
There are several compelling reasons to argue that Modern Greek pronunciation is closest to Koine Greek, despite some changes over the centuries. Here are the key points:
1. Continuity in Language and Speech
Greek has undergone fewer phonological changes compared to other languages over time. While every language evolves, the phonetic shifts from Koine Greek to Modern Greek were more gradual and less extreme than the shift from, say, Latin to the Romance languages. Modern Greek remains part of the same linguistic continuum, preserving much of the phonological structure of Koine Greek.
The basic vowel and consonant inventory of Modern Greek reflects the phonetic changes that were already beginning to take place during the Koine period. For instance, many diphthongs in Koine Greek had already started merging into simple vowel sounds, just as they are pronounced in Modern Greek today.
2. Vowel Mergers
One of the major features of Koine Greek was the merging of several distinct vowel sounds. For instance, ι (iota), η (eta), υ (upsilon), ει, and οι had largely become pronounced as “i” (as in “machine”) by the later Koine period. This same merging of vowels is a hallmark of Modern Greek pronunciation.
Modern Greek reflects these mergers in the exact same way, suggesting that it continues a trend that started during the Koine era. This stands in contrast to Erasmian pronunciation, which artificially separates these vowels for academic purposes, rather than reflecting actual historical pronunciation.
3. Consonant Shifts
In Koine Greek, some consonants were already shifting toward their Modern Greek counterparts. For example:
β had started to shift from a “b” sound to a “v” sound, much like in Modern Greek.
φ and θ were transitioning to “f” and “th” sounds, respectively, which is exactly how they are pronounced today.
γ had started to develop a softer sound, especially before certain vowels, which is consistent with Modern Greek’s use of γ as a “soft g” or “y” sound.
These consonantal changes, already present in Koine, have become fully realized in Modern Greek, indicating that Modern Greek pronunciation carries forward the phonetic developments from that time.
4. Use in the Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church has used Koine Greek in its liturgies continuously since the time of the New Testament, and it employs Modern Greek pronunciation. The liturgical language has not been subject to the kind of phonetic reforms that academic systems like the Erasmian pronunciation imposed. This suggests that the pronunciation preserved in the Church may be closer to the original spoken language of the early Christian period.
While some may argue that liturgical pronunciation might be conservative, the widespread use of Modern Greek pronunciation in Koine texts for centuries indicates a strong cultural and linguistic link between the two.
5. Natural Linguistic Evolution
Languages evolve, but they rarely do so in radical, sudden shifts. The changes in pronunciation from Koine to Modern Greek, such as vowel mergers and consonant softening, followed natural linguistic patterns over time.
Modern Greek is therefore not a radically different language from Koine but rather a descendant that reflects the ongoing developments in pronunciation that were already occurring in the Hellenistic and Byzantine eras.
6. Problems with the Erasmian Pronunciation
The Erasmian pronunciation is an artificial construct, created for pedagogical reasons by Renaissance scholars like Erasmus. It separates vowels and diphthongs in a way that is useful for teaching grammar and morphology but does not reflect how the language was actually spoken during the Koine period.
There is little historical evidence to support the notion that Koine Greek was pronounced as Erasmian suggests. Instead, the Erasmian system represents an earlier, more classical stage of the Greek language, which is inappropriate for Koine texts.
7. Variant Readings and Scribal Errors
Many variant readings in the Greek manuscripts suggest that scribes made errors based on similar pronunciations of words. For instance, the confusion between similar-sounding vowels or consonants could lead to miswriting or miscopying texts, resulting in variant readings that are evident in the manuscript tradition.
The similarities in pronunciation that existed during the transition from Koine to Modern Greek highlight the importance of understanding these phonetic nuances. Using Modern Greek pronunciation can help students better appreciate the subtleties that might have influenced how texts were transmitted and transformed over time.
Conclusion
Modern Greek pronunciation offers a closer reflection of how Koine Greek likely sounded because it carries forward the phonetic developments that began in the Koine period, especially in terms of vowel mergers and consonant shifts. The continuity of the Greek language and the preservation of Koine texts in liturgical settings further strengthen the argument that Modern Greek pronunciation is the more natural and historically accurate system for reading Koine Greek.