# I'm thinking of learning greek(for philosophy)



## phella (Jun 1, 2011)

Hi, I'm currently studying philosophy and I'm considering learning Greek as well, but does anyone knows if ancient Greek(used in in philosophical writings) is the same used as in modern Greek?


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## persona non grata (Jul 13, 2011)

If you're asking whether learning modern Greek would allow you to read ancient Greek, the answer is no. It might help learn ancient Greek down the line, but they really aren't the same language. It would be like someone studying English with the intent of understanding Middle English- there's an obvious connection but it's not strong enough to make sense of most of what's being looked at.


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## obsidianavenger (Sep 1, 2011)

agree with the above poster... you would really need to study ancient greek specifically.


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## phella (Jun 1, 2011)

ah OK I guess I'll look for books ancient greek then

any specific recommendations for self study books(I mainly want to be able to read)?


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

phella said:


> ah OK I guess I'll look for books ancient greek then
> 
> any specific recommendations for self study books(I mainly want to be able to read)?


You might want to ask Bezoomny. She studies ancient Greek and Latin as part of her major.


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## stillirise (Aug 4, 2011)

Is reading philosophical works your only motivation for learning the language? I know that sometimes classics people do this (the poetry is real neat too, I hears), but sheesh, unless you have a massive and persistent and unsurmountable urge to learn a new language, you should really just read a translated version of Plato instead .


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## Xande (Jul 18, 2011)

Greek sounds hard. I wanted to learn japanese when I was still in school, cause I wanted to watch anime without subtitles lol


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

phella said:


> Hi, I'm currently studying philosophy and I'm considering learning Greek as well, but does anyone knows if ancient Greek(used in in philosophical writings) is the same used as in modern Greek?


Modern Greek and ancient Greek (and koine, for that matter) use identical alphabets but _different grammar and wildly different pronunciation_. You could be very good indeed at ancient Greek but could not be able to speak, comprehend, or even read modern Greek. Basically, as languages get older, things get simplified and changed around. Over and over again.

Also, the notion of modern Greek is a (forgive me) a modern one, since for the longest time there was a language everyone spoke (Demotic, rife with regional variation), and a language for scholarship (Katharevousa). Katharevousa dropped out, and 'modern Greek' is based off Demotic, what people actually have been speaking, so hopefully the 'modernizations' and many changes are better explained with that context.

The difference is not quite as big as the gulf between Latin and Italian, but that's the best parallel I can think of. More like the English of _The Canterbury Tales_ or _Beowulf_ versus the English of _Catcher in the Rye_.

So, if you take ancient Greek you're probably going to learn Attic (Athenian). Through Attic Greek, it is only a small step to learning the other dialects of the Ancient Greeks. Koine is a simplification and was essentially 'ancient demotic' because it was the language people actually spoke, not the language of scholarship.

Please PM me if I'm being confusing or if you have any questions. Learning Greek is entirely comparable to learning Latin or any other language. One thing to keep in mind with ancient languages is that you're going to learn most of the grammar first, then you'll read in the language. It can be a bit of a chore for people when you first start, I mean I hated every second of Greek until I was able to read the _Iliad_, then I absolutely adored the language. PM me if you want to vent, or need tips on remembering second aorists or anything like that.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

stillirise said:


> Is reading philosophical works your only motivation for learning the language? I know that sometimes classics people do this (the poetry is real neat too, I hears), but sheesh, unless you have a massive and persistent and unsurmountable urge to learn a new language, you should really just read a translated version of Plato instead .


Learning Greek would be very beneficial if one plans on becoming an academic specializing in Greek philosophy, as it's pretty much unheard of to get through your masters or doctorate in ancient/Greek philosophy without learning the language. It'd put you that much ahead.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

phella said:


> ah OK I guess I'll look for books ancient greek then
> 
> any specific recommendations for self study books(I mainly want to be able to read)?


_From Alpha to Omega_ by Anne Groton was my learner book. I've read through _Athenaze_, but I don't find it as helpful when it comes to drilling the grammar.

Also, I'd strongly advise against learning this on your own. Find a university with a classics department - even if they offer no Greek courses, classics professors tend to categorically know both Greek and Latin language and can be of help to you.


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## Witan (Jun 13, 2009)

phella said:


> Hi, I'm currently studying philosophy and I'm considering learning Greek as well, but does anyone knows if ancient Greek(used in in philosophical writings) is the same used as in modern Greek?


No, they're different. There are several different kinds of Greek. If you want to read ancient Greek philosophy, make sure to learn ancient Greek. If you wanted to read the New Testament or other contemporary Greek works, you'd have to learn Koine Greek.


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## phella (Jun 1, 2011)

bezoomny said:


> _From Alpha to Omega_ by Anne Groton was my learner book. I've read through _Athenaze_, but I don't find it as helpful when it comes to drilling the grammar.
> 
> Also, I'd strongly advise against learning this on your own. Find a university with a classics department - even if they offer no Greek courses, classics professors tend to categorically know both Greek and Latin language and can be of help to you.


Thanks and I should be fine, all my professors knows Greek(and often use it during lectures as well)


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## stillirise (Aug 4, 2011)

bezoomny said:


> Learning Greek would be very beneficial if one plans on becoming an academic specializing in Greek philosophy, as it's pretty much unheard of to get through your masters or doctorate in ancient/Greek philosophy without learning the language. It'd put you that much ahead.


Oh sure, I totally understand this. It just seemed like the OP's interest was way more casual than that.

+1 on learning the language via classes. I couldn't even learn to read French without the guidance of a professor. :b


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