Graecofile experience

[Davidsch]

Two weeks ago I started on learning classical Greek for R&D

I am curious, are there people here fluent in classical (old) Greek, and/or any experience in the ancient dialects?

[-JKP-]

Two weeks ago I started on learning classical Greek for R&D

I am curious, are there people here fluent in classical (old) Greek, and/or any experience in the ancient dialects?

I wish. I've been trying to find time to learn some too and there just aren't enough hours in the day.

I can somewhat read small bits of the old Greek manuscripts and I am pretty familiar with the alphabet and the Greek scribal abbreviations, but I have to look up almost every word (except the really common ones like kai, ton, and peri, and names, which aren't too hard to read because we still use them). It's slow going.

Good luck with it.

[-JKP-]

David, if you're learning medieval or classical Greek, this manuscript might be of interest.

It's 13th century and includes parallel versions of Greek and Latin:

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[Davidsch]

thanks!. I really would like an old manuscript together with interlinear transcription. I will probably use the bible annotations which are very excellent for study purpose, but I would always like more.  ;-)

[Koen G]

Very courageous, David, doesn't seem very easy. If I could choose one language to "know" for Voynich studies it would surely be classical Greek.

[Davidsch]

Thanks, with a little discipline it is not very difficult to do.

I've studied now about 20-30 languages roughly and it's becoming easier every time. 
However I've noticed there must be quite a time gap doing between different languages otherwise my brain gets mixed up and I do not know where a particular word came from. It's a pitty I did not do Greek before, because it is clear to me that the basis of all Indo-European languages comes from Greek + Sanskrit-mixture. So, if needed I will do Sanskrit as well & families.

For most of you here, the Voynich is just to pass time, for me it is a serious quest which I intend to finish with a final paper or a total solution.  The only way to do that is to do some hard labor.

[Helmut Winkler]

thanks!. I really would like an old manuscript together with interlinear transcription. I will probably use the bible annotations which are very excellent for study purpose, but I would always like more.  ;-)

David,


I think you should look for early prints, not mss. of Greek authors, most of them have a Latin translation. Here is an example, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. There are some 19th c. editions with Latin translations online as well.: Kühn/Galen, Aristoteles/Bekker etc. They are easy to find in the OPACs of the big digitizing libraries


A site which could help you if you dont know it yet is You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.


And you are not the only one who is really trying to find a solution

[-JKP-]

...

I've studied now about 20-30 languages roughly and it's becoming easier every time. 
However I've noticed there must be quite a time gap doing between different languages otherwise my brain gets mixed up and I do not know where a particular word came from...

I experience the exact same thing.

[-JKP-]

This one is also interesting. It's 9th century Carolingian script (which is easier to read than many of the 15th-century Gothic scripts) and has been glossed with Latin above the Greek:

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[Diane]

Davidsch
Yes. I studied classical Greek, but alas we had no specialist in the Ionian dialect. 

-JKP - that's a fine example of interlinear.  I'm still hoping that someone will take seriously the idea that we would learn something useful by compiling statistical tables of comparative letter forms from the Latin- Greek-and Aramaic traditions.

In general, it has been an enormous pleasure to see, just these last eighteen months, that the pre-Christian Hellenistic world is also becoming such a focus of interest.

What I do sometimes hope to see is a wider horizon than Latin Europe, and a wider range of manuscripts considered than the Carollingian Latin Christian.  I daresay it will happen in time.