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 οˊ - indicates rising voice
- Grave accent οˋ - 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.