Great Greek Wednesdays and skimpy study

Here is where I am in my study of written Greek this week!

My notes thus far:

–

 

I did the written activity first, then watched the first video on half speed, and updated my progress on GR:

October 12, 2020 –

 

page 1

 

1.1%“First video on formal introduction seems curt.”

 

October 6, 2020 –

 

page 1

 

1.1% “Read transcript for first video, which is very easy: a simple introduction with formal and plural explained.”

and then, from the Bible:

October 12, 2020 –

 

Then, looking again into the oldest translation of the oldest book, aka The Book, aka the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (though this is still apparently a more updated version, called Katharevousa, of the ancient Greek, rather than the Greek of 300BCE…):

1.0% “Still on verse 1: Why not “Stin Archizo?”

–

 

I also had another very quick look at Genesis 1:1 in the Septuagint (aka the LXX), but am too tired to work on the Ancient Greek this week. More on my continuing striving with modern and ancient Greek next week, friends:

Yassas,   γεια σας!    Salût !  Nos vemos!  Görüşürüz!     ! שָׁלוֹם

Action Items in support of literacy and hope that you can take right now:

1.) Search for two different resources to translate the word “tomorrow” into Greek.

2.) Share them with us in the comments, here, please.

3.) Share your thoughts on how you like each of the resources you found,  perhaps as an update on your GoodReads reading,

4.) Write a blog post or tweet that uses a modern Greek word, tells a good story, and makes a difference. I’m working on that through my historical fantasy #WiP, #WhoByFireIWill. Once published, donate one or more copies to your local public library, as I intend to do.

Dear Readers, any additional ideas toward learning, especially multiple #LanguageLearning as part of on-going education and empathy-building, to #EndPoverty, #EndHomelessness,  #EndMoneyBail & achieve freedom for All HumanKind? 

Support our key #PublicDomainInfrastructure  & #StopSmoking for CCOVID-19:
1. #PublicLibraries,
2. #ProBono legal aid and Education,
3. #UniversalHealthCare, and
4. good #publictransport
Read, Write, Ranked Choice Voting and Housing for ALL!!, Teach and Learn (Lesson Plans)!

ShiraDest

October, 12020 HE

(The previous lesson plan since this post, and the most recent lesson plan…)

Wonderous Greek Wednesdays during Sukkot?

Here is where I am in my study of modern Greek this week!  No sukkah blowing down in the cold rain of the DC/Baltimore area these days, but this year, with Covid-19, no ‘Sukkah-hopping’ either, alas.  I never particularly liked candy, but I always enjoy the pun on the phrase ‘LaShev(et) baSukkah’ as we sit down in a chair to make the brachah (blessing) over some bit of mazonot (non-meal food, like a snack) and drink: LaShevet   means both to live and to sit, literally, hence the joke!  🙂

Coming back to Greek!  (oops!)  My notes thus far (I hope to get back to adding the Septuagint again in the next few weeks, after NaNoWriMo…):

–

October 6, 2020 –

page 1

 

1.1% “Read transcript for first video, which is very easy: a simple introduction with formal and plural explained.”

 

–

 

So, it turns out that The Hellenic American Union (HAU, this particular file available at: https://www.hau.gr/?i=learning.en.video-lists) has both videos and podcasts, both with written transcripts, for learners of modern Greek.

  More on my continuing striving with Greek next week, friends:

Yassas,   γεια σας!    Salût !  Nos vemos!  Görüşürüz!     ! שָׁלוֹם

Action Items in support of literacy and hope that you can take right now:

1.) Search for two different resources to translate the word “How are you?” into Greek.

2.) Share them with us in the comments, here, please.

3.) Share your thoughts on how you like each of the resources you found,  perhaps as an update on your GoodReads reading,

4.) Write a blog post or tweet that uses a modern Greek word, tells a good story, and makes a difference. I’m working on that through my historical fantasy #WiP, #WhoByFireIWill. Once published, donate one or more copies to your local public library, as I intend to do.

Dear Readers, any additional ideas toward learning, especially multiple #LanguageLearning as part of on-going education and empathy-building, to #EndPoverty, #EndHomelessness,  #EndMoneyBail & achieve freedom for All HumanKind? 

Support our key #PublicDomainInfrastructure  & #StopSmoking for CCOVID-19:
1. #PublicLibraries,
2. #ProBono legal aid and Education,
3. #UniversalHealthCare, and
4. good #publictransport
Read, Write, Ranked Choice Voting and Housing for ALL!!, Teach and Learn (Lesson Plans)!

ShiraDest

Sukkot (Chol HaMoed day 2) 5781

October, 12020 HE

(The previous lesson plan since this post, and the most recent lesson plan…)

Great Greek Wednesdays, and free materials via the Hellenic American Union.

Here is where I am in my study of written Greek this week, thanks to the HAU!

–

I found some free Greek videos with transcripts.  Since I wanted to be able to keep track of which ones I’ve seen, I listed the entire series of materials as one book, with 91 pages: 81 for the videos, and 10 for the podcasts.  Hopefully this will make it easier for other learners to use the materials, too!

–

 

Sorry I’ve fallen behind on my Greek, but I hope that Juanjo (Greek during Covid-19) and the above HAU resources satisfy, for a week!  More on my continuing striving with Greek next week, friends:

Yassas,   γεια σας!    Salût !  Nos vemos!  Görüşürüz!     ! שָׁלוֹם

Action Items in support of literacy and language learning that you can take right now:

1.) Search for two different resources to translate the word “Talk to you later” into Greek.

2.) Share them with us in the comments, here, please.

3.) Share your thoughts on how you like each of the resources you found,  perhaps as an update on your GoodReads reading,

4.) Write a blog post or tweet that uses a Lx word, tells a good story, and makes a difference. I’m working on that through my historical fantasy #WiP, #WhoByFireIWill. Once published, donate one or more copies to your local public library, as I intend to do.

Dear Readers, any additional ideas toward learning, especially multiple #LanguageLearning as part of on-going education and empathy-building, to #EndPoverty, #EndHomelessness,  #EndMoneyBail & achieve freedom for All HumanKind? 

Support our key #PublicDomainInfrastructure  & #StopSmoking for CCOVID-19:
1. #PublicLibraries,
2. #ProBono legal aid and Education,
3. #UniversalHealthCare, and
4. good #publictransport
Read, Write, Ranked Choice Voting and Housing for ALL!!, Teach and Learn (Lesson Plans) !

ShiraDest

September, 12020 HE

(The previous lesson plan since this post…)

Great Greek Wednesdays, in European Spanish

Since I’ve been a bit lacking on my study of written Greek this week, I must fall back on my study of modern Greek, via video!

So, now my spoken modern Greek is progressing, but I’m still struggling to find films that are slow enough to understand at the very early levels of modern Greek.  I did find some materials by the Hellenic American Union, which I’ll have to dig through my paper notes to get, so if there are interested replies in the comments here, I’ll post that material for next Wednesday.

My notes thus far:

Someone asked how to form the infinitive in modern Greek, since, well… there is none!

-Una pregunta, Juanjo. Si en griego moderno no existe el infinitivo, ¿cómo podría traducir del español un verbo que actúa como sujeto al griego? Por ejemplo, si quiero traducir “el caminar es bueno” o “fumar es malo para la salud”, ¿cómo sería?

”

Juanjo Fantoso

4 years ago

Tienes dos opciones: puedes usar el verbo dirigido a una persona o usar un sustantivo. Por ejemplo, para “el caminar es bueno” puede decirlo… – Το να περπατήσεις είναι καλό (Literalmente, El que tú andes es bueno), siempre dirigiéndolo a alguien. – Το περπάτημα είναι καλό (Literalmente, El hecho de andar/la acción de andar es buena). Una de las ventajas del Griego Moderno es que puedes crear sustantivos de prácticamente todos los verbos. Pero básicamente la estructura del infinitivo es esa.“

–

 

So, even the comments, it turns out, are interesting, in Juanjo’s videos!   More on my continuing striving with both LXX and modern Greek next week, friends:

Yassas,   γεια σας ! 

Action Items in support of literacy and hope that you can take right now:

1.) Search for two different resources to translate the word “Hello” into Greek.

2.) Share them with us in the comments, here, please.

3.) Share your thoughts on how you like each of the resources you found,  perhaps as an update on your GoodReads reading,

4.) Write a blog post or tweet that uses a Greek word, tells a good story, and makes a difference. I’m working on that through my historical fantasy #WiP, #WhoByFireIWill. Once published, donate one or more copies to your local public library, as I intend to do.

Let’s #EndPoverty, #EndHomelessness, & #EndMoneyBail and support these four key parts of our #PublicDomainInfrastructure  & #StopSmoking for CCOVID-19:
1. #libraries,
2. #ProBono legal aid and Education,
3. #UniversalHealthCare, and
4. good #publictransport
Read, Write, Ranked Choice Voting and Housing for ALL!!!!, Walk !

ShiraDest

September, 12020 HE

Great Greek Wednesdays, and it’s already Saint Sophia’s day in Greece!

Since 2pm PDT is midnight, Athens time, it is now Thursday, September 17th, dedicated to a martyr who tried, as many oppressed parents try, to protect her children: Saint Sophia’s name day is on September 17th, meaning that Greeks around the world who carry the name Sophia are already beginning to celebrate their name days: Happy Name Day, Sophia(s)!!

So, now I see that my study of ancient Greek, with the goal of reading the Septuagint, maybe in slightly more updated Greek than the ancient Rabbinical translation that earned it the name “The LXX,” but still, not quite modern Greek.  The form of Greek that seems to be used for this version of the Greek Old Testament is Koine, the same Greek used in New Testament times.  My modern Greek, below these notes, is coming along a bit faster!  Many libraries, and any Greek orthodox church, will have copies of the LXX, or a more modern Bible version in Greek.

My notes thus far:

–

1.0%“Verse 1, word 3: still adds the prefix ‘ε, but how do the breathing marks work?”

 

September 9, 2020 –

 

 

1.0% “Είναι καθαρεύουσα. It’s Katharevousa.”

–

 

So, it turns out that a slightly more modern version of ancient Greek, known to Biblical scholars as Koine Greek, is what seems to have been used for this version of the LXX.  Koine is the New Testament time period, and was about 600 years after the initial Rabbinical translation by the 70 rabbis of legend, in 300BC, for the Jews of Alexandria.   The breathing marks and some of the ancient suffixes are there, enough to make it impossible for me to use my Modern Greek classes to pronounce this form of ancient Greek, but a Greek friend informs me that the published versions that I’ve found online via an LXX app are not the ancient version, since he can still understand it.  More on my continuing striving with both LXX and modern Greek next week, friends:

Yassas,   γεια σας ! 

Action Items in support of literacy and hope that you can take right now:

1.) Download some public domain version of your favorite book!

2.) Read a page,

3.) Share your thoughts on that page, perhaps as an update on your GoodReads reading,

4.) Write a novel that references a classic book, tells a good story, and makes a difference. I’m working on that through my historical fantasy #WiP, #WhoByFireIWill. Once published, donate one or more copies to your local public library, as I intend to do.

Let’s #EndPoverty, #EndHomelessness, & #EndMoneyBail and support these four key parts of our #PublicDomainInfrastructure  & #StopSmoking for CCOVID-19:
1. #libraries,
2. #ProBono legal aid and Education,
3. #UniversalHealthCare, and
4. good #publictransport
Read, Write, Ranked Choice Voting and Housing for ALL!!!!, Walk !

ShiraDest

September, 12020 HE

My long-lost language learning goals for Greek: in Spanish! Miercoles Maravillosos de Griego!

Now starting Great Greek Wednesdays, at last!  🙂    Ya, por fin, estoy empezando los Miercoles de Griego Maravilloso!

I actually accidentally started learning a bit of Greek when I lived in Turkey, due to having a couple of friends in Athens, one of whom came to visit me across the Aegean when I lived in Izmir.   Background on that is below, in this post for anyone interested in reading and commenting on how I slowly started to figure out, back around 2005, that I learn a new language much faster by tying it to an old ‘new’ language.  My L1 is English, and my L2 is Spanish, so I found it far easier to learn Greek in Spanish, because:

1.  using Spanish ‘hooks’ the new Greek words into my existing foreign language brain circuits,   and
2.   Greek pronunciation and grammar are very similar to European Spanish grammar and usage, so it just makes more sense to learn Greek in Spanish than in English.       Finally:
3.   this way, I get to practice my Spanish while learning Greek, so less time wasted on English.  🙂

and here is that list I’ve been looking for for a few years now:
“end of 2006 -full fluency in Spanish
” 2010 – Turkish
2015-  Biblical Hebrew
2030- French
2033- Catalan
2035- Greek
2040- Italian”

I wanted to scrub French from my list, but now (2020) I am fully fluent, far ahead of reluctant schedule. I also have mostly reading fluencey in Biblical Hebrew now. I also watch TV shows like Hakan: Muhafiz in Turkish, so I put myself between conversant and fluent in Turkish.

More below, and I can dig up the old posts for those who want to discuss living in Turkey as a bad social experiment back in 2005.  🙂

Still in Service to Community,

Shira

So, I did swim in the Aegean! I’d totally forgotten:
“I had a good day – we went to our coworker Fazil’s house (it took us from 12:30 until 3pm!), where we all ate lunch, went swimming (the Aegean sea is very very very salty!!), walked around Foca (Phocia) and saw a Greek-Turkish political discussion at a large table outdoors on a stage (I wanted to stay and listen but no one else was interested -frustrating as they were speaking in Greek and then translating into Turkish and people were applauding wildly), then saw the last few dances of a show of a Greek folk dance trouppe (their last dance was Romvini in Turkish, a tsifteteli I believe, and everyone clapped but no one danced), then we went home -at 10m, and I arrived home about midnight, but then joined my farther away neighbors on their balcony for some nuts and karpus, and we talked until 1am.”2005-05-06 11:26:00
İsmet İnönü: una historia interesante… ilginç tarih… interesting history…
Yo estaba hablando con mi jefe en la escuela sobre la fiesta de anoche y hablabamos sobre la fieste de Nevrus y otras fiestas (como el de ayer -Hıdırellez). El me decia que los Kurdos no tienen ninguna problema aqui, aunque mi antigua companera de cuarto decia que a los Kurdos Turquia no les gusta y habia descriminacion y aun ahora quedo una guerra contra ellos. Todo los Turkos decian que eso no lo es, y que solamente (los Kurdos) quieren hacer problemas. Es algo interesante. Desde amos lados hay diferente puntas de vista. Pero no sabia que habia algunas presidentes de Turquia que habian Kurdos. Otra amiga me decia que su heroe es İsmet İnönü. Yo estaba un pocito sorprendida. …”