Learning to Read Classical Greek

[phillipgr]

How far removed is classical Greek from the modern Greek used today? I want to learn Greek in order to read the classics and I wonder how easy it would then be for me to read modern Greek? Or vice versa.
Thanks

[Charles Darnay]

There are many similarities between the two when it comes to vocabulary (and of course characters) - as well as basic m/f/n nouns.

The difficulty comes, if you know Modern and want to learn Classical Greek, when dealing with syntax. Modern Greek has done away with most of the dependency on noun-declensions that Ancient Greek (and most Classical languages) uses. So you will have to learn noun-declensions.

I don't know too much about Modern Greek, so I am not sure how many of the verb conjugations remained from Ancient to Modern.

Really, learning Ancient Greek is easier when you know Modern than if you didn't know Modern, but it will take some time, especially if you are working your way through Homer, for example.

[JBI]

I am told the pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar have evolved to a point of non-intelligibility. It's like learning Vulgar Latin and thinking you can read Portuguese.

Generally, you will need to learn both separately if you want to engage in both of them.

[Charles Darnay]

I am told the pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar have evolved to a point of non-intelligibility. It's like learning Vulgar Latin and thinking you can read Portuguese.

Generally, you will need to learn both separately if you want to engage in both of them.

Basic vocabulary is fairly consistent. Of course, language itself has changed so much from c. 500BC to now, but I can read simple Modern Greek having learned Ancient Greek.

[Ragnar Freund]

Gone.

[Charles Darnay]

I love Mastronarde. He has quite a few amusing quirks.

[!MeMa!]

wow i want to learn greek and latin as well! coulde you please tell me what it your learning schedule?

i love the idea of learning a dead language. and i determine to learn one as well.

[JBI]

For MeMa and whoever else maybe interested.

If you want to learn any language, spend 2 hours with it every day. Latin and Greek are tricky, as ultimately there is no reality to the language, so you end up doing translation and grammar drills, as well as rote memorizing vocabulary. This is similar to say, approaches to other unspoken languages, such as Classical Chinese and Sanskrit.

Generally, the weird thing about learning languages is that virtually everyone can do it if they put in the effort, and if they have the desire to go through the process. I would say the vast majority of people do not succeed, or do not succeed with their goals.

For instance, there are a million people who put a resolution to learn any given language, buy the book, and do not get anywhere. Likewise, there are more students in language schools that have dropped out than have reached anywhere near any sort of fluency.

When I started learning Chinese, for instance, there were 40 people in my class, and another 80 in the other less intensive class (year long as apposed to summer). This solidified into 40 by the second year, of which, less than 30 completed, and 20 or less continued on. Of those twenty, three of us went to China, and only 3 were left over to proceed further.

Something similar happened when I studied Italian - it started with 4 classes of 30 each for the intermediate class when I got back from Italy. By the next year the number was maybe 1/4 of that, and then eventually even I opted out to go to China.

As self learners though, the situation is far more grim. One really needs to first of all have a good study plan, and secondly, have discipline and consistency.

For instance, one really needs to work every day for at least 1 hour or so to make any progress. If you skip a day, you may be able to make it up the next day, but chances are you won't. Likely, if you become engrossed and work a few extra hours, you will feel your work the next day will not only be more profitable, but will stick better.

After all, language learning really is a form of conditioning - first you need to condition yourself to a routine and consistent schedule, then you need to figure out how to condition yourself to the actual language itself - divorce your brain, as it will, from your comfortable language into another one - this applies also to the sounds your mouth must make if you are speaking, or the grammar your mind must function in if you are thinking, or even the idiomatic levels which come last and offer the most difficulty of getting one's mind around.

Learning something because it is cool generally won't get you far and may waste both time and money - if you are going to learn, make sure it is a priority or don't even bother - likewise make sure you have the discipline and the resources available, and you stick to it.

As we discuss for learning for literature though, make sure you really love the work you will be studying. The amount of Greek texts available that you will be aiming to read better be very important to you if you are going to be dedicating hours at trying to get at them.

[Darcy88]

For MeMa and whoever else maybe interested.

If you want to learn any language, spend 2 hours with it every day. Latin and Greek are tricky, as ultimately there is no reality to the language, so you end up doing translation and grammar drills, as well as rote memorizing vocabulary. This is similar to say, approaches to other unspoken languages, such as Classical Chinese and Sanskrit.

Generally, the weird thing about learning languages is that virtually everyone can do it if they put in the effort, and if they have the desire to go through the process. I would say the vast majority of people do not succeed, or do not succeed with their goals.

For instance, there are a million people who put a resolution to learn any given language, buy the book, and do not get anywhere. Likewise, there are more students in language schools that have dropped out than have reached anywhere near any sort of fluency.

When I started learning Chinese, for instance, there were 40 people in my class, and another 80 in the other less intensive class (year long as apposed to summer). This solidified into 40 by the second year, of which, less than 30 completed, and 20 or less continued on. Of those twenty, three of us went to China, and only 3 were left over to proceed further.

Something similar happened when I studied Italian - it started with 4 classes of 30 each for the intermediate class when I got back from Italy. By the next year the number was maybe 1/4 of that, and then eventually even I opted out to go to China.

As self learners though, the situation is far more grim. One really needs to first of all have a good study plan, and secondly, have discipline and consistency.

For instance, one really needs to work every day for at least 1 hour or so to make any progress. If you skip a day, you may be able to make it up the next day, but chances are you won't. Likely, if you become engrossed and work a few extra hours, you will feel your work the next day will not only be more profitable, but will stick better.

After all, language learning really is a form of conditioning - first you need to condition yourself to a routine and consistent schedule, then you need to figure out how to condition yourself to the actual language itself - divorce your brain, as it will, from your comfortable language into another one - this applies also to the sounds your mouth must make if you are speaking, or the grammar your mind must function in if you are thinking, or even the idiomatic levels which come last and offer the most difficulty of getting one's mind around.

Learning something because it is cool generally won't get you far and may waste both time and money - if you are going to learn, make sure it is a priority or don't even bother - likewise make sure you have the discipline and the resources available, and you stick to it.

As we discuss for learning for literature though, make sure you really love the work you will be studying. The amount of Greek texts available that you will be aiming to read better be very important to you if you are going to be dedicating hours at trying to get at them.

Thanks for the advice JBI. I will apply it to my own language learning endeavors. I am determined to teach myself Spanish. With the wealth of Spanish literature and the many travel opportunities out there, finding motivation to learn Spanish is not much of a task.

[!MeMa!]

For MeMa and whoever else maybe interested.

If you want to learn any language, spend 2 hours with it every day. Latin and Greek are tricky, as ultimately there is no reality to the language, so you end up doing translation and grammar drills, as well as rote memorizing vocabulary. This is similar to say, approaches to other unspoken languages, such as Classical Chinese and Sanskrit.

Generally, the weird thing about learning languages is that virtually everyone can do it if they put in the effort, and if they have the desire to go through the process. I would say the vast majority of people do not succeed, or do not succeed with their goals.

For instance, there are a million people who put a resolution to learn any given language, buy the book, and do not get anywhere. Likewise, there are more students in language schools that have dropped out than have reached anywhere near any sort of fluency.

When I started learning Chinese, for instance, there were 40 people in my class, and another 80 in the other less intensive class (year long as apposed to summer). This solidified into 40 by the second year, of which, less than 30 completed, and 20 or less continued on. Of those twenty, three of us went to China, and only 3 were left over to proceed further.

Something similar happened when I studied Italian - it started with 4 classes of 30 each for the intermediate class when I got back from Italy. By the next year the number was maybe 1/4 of that, and then eventually even I opted out to go to China.

As self learners though, the situation is far more grim. One really needs to first of all have a good study plan, and secondly, have discipline and consistency.

For instance, one really needs to work every day for at least 1 hour or so to make any progress. If you skip a day, you may be able to make it up the next day, but chances are you won't. Likely, if you become engrossed and work a few extra hours, you will feel your work the next day will not only be more profitable, but will stick better.

After all, language learning really is a form of conditioning - first you need to condition yourself to a routine and consistent schedule, then you need to figure out how to condition yourself to the actual language itself - divorce your brain, as it will, from your comfortable language into another one - this applies also to the sounds your mouth must make if you are speaking, or the grammar your mind must function in if you are thinking, or even the idiomatic levels which come last and offer the most difficulty of getting one's mind around.

Learning something because it is cool generally won't get you far and may waste both time and money - if you are going to learn, make sure it is a priority or don't even bother - likewise make sure you have the discipline and the resources available, and you stick to it.

As we discuss for learning for literature though, make sure you really love the work you will be studying. The amount of Greek texts available that you will be aiming to read better be very important to you if you are going to be dedicating hours at trying to get at them.

INDEED:thumbs_up:thumbs_up
every word you said it's true. these advices help a lot when i learn english at the first place and i am determine to learn a third language mabe a fourth one as well, who knows!
anyway, thank you for these advices and i will consider it and apply it when i teach myself Latin and maybe Greek.
i also think of learning a modern language-maybe French\Spanish\Itlian or maybe Chianese.
as for loving literature. basicly am in love with literature! i really love it and willing to spend my whole life learning it -if it's necessary-:angel:

[JuniperWoolf]

Re. changing actual brain function during the process of learning a new language: during one really harsh study session before a Japanese final exam I found myself inadvertently thinking and dreaming in hodge-podge English/Japanese. It was weird. I begain to accidently respond to people in daily life using Japanese. When a grocery store clerk asked me if I was paying with debit, I said "hai!" to which he responded "um... hello..."

[Darcy88]

Re. changing actual brain function during the process of learning a new language: during one really harsh study session before a Japanese final exam I found myself inadvertently thinking and dreaming in hodge-podge English/Japanese. It was weird. I begain to accidently respond to people in daily life using Japanese. When a grocery store clerk asked me if I was paying with debit, I said "hai!" to which he responded "um... hello..."

That's funny. The exact same thing would happen to me in the days leading up to a French exam. I'd find myself thinking in French, reflexively using French words in conversation. Ah cramming...