Ancient Greek Alphabet and Diacritical Marks

The ancient Greek writing system presents a comprehensive structure of letters and diacritical marks. The alphabet contains 24 letters, from Alpha to Omega, each with distinct pronunciations and uses.

Definition: The alfabeto greco antico is a writing system that includes both consonants and vowels, along with various diacritical marks for precise pronunciation.

Example: Letters like Alpha (Α, α) for 'a', Beta (Β, β) for 'b', and Gamma (Γ, γ) for 'g' form the foundation of the system.

Vocabulary: Segni diacritici (diacritical marks) are additional symbols placed above or below letters to indicate specific pronunciation features.

Highlight: The system includes three types of accents:

• Acute accent (ό) - indicates rising voice
• Grave accent (ὸ) - indicates falling voice
• Circumflex accent (ῶ) - indicates rise and fall in voice

Quote: "Tutte le parole greche, tranne le enclitiche e le proclitiche, hanno una Sillaba tonica (accentata)" - Every Greek word, except for enclitics and proclitics, has a tonic (accented) syllable.

The text also explains the concept of spirits (breathing marks) used on initial vowels and diphthongs:

• Smooth breathing (᾿) indicates no aspiration
• Rough breathing (῾) indicates aspiration

This comprehensive system of fonemi e grafemi allows for precise representation of ancient Greek pronunciation and meaning.