Greek diphthongs
Diphthongs
A diphthong is a combination of two vowels that make one syllable. There are “proper”and “improper”diphthongs.
Proper diphthongs consist of a short vowel and ι or υ (see the table below).
| Diphthong | Pronunciation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| αι | Aisle | αἰών | age |
| οι | Oil | οἶνος | wine |
| ει | Eight | χείρ | hand |
| υι | Queen | υἱός | son |
| αυ | Mouse | Παῦλος | Paul |
| ευ3(https://greekforall.com/learn-biblical-greek-grammar/biblical-greek-alphabet/#easy-footnote-bottom-3-3240) | βασιλεύς | king | |
| ηυ4(https://greekforall.com/learn-biblical-greek-grammar/biblical-greek-alphabet/#easy-footnote-bottom-4-3240) | ηὗρον | I found |
Improper diphthongs are a combination of a long vowel and ι. In this case ι is written beneath the vowel (ᾳ, ῃ, ῳ) and is called iota subscript.It is silent and is not pronounced.
For example:λῃστής [lestés] robber, bandit; αὐτῷ [autό] him.
Likewise, the digraph ουalso makes one sound [-oo-] as in boutique or soup. For example: Ἰησοῦς.
Source: https://greekforall.com