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Greek in a Nutshell by James Strong
page 5 of 61 (08%)

§ 5. The _grave_ accent (`) is only written in place of the
acute on the last syllable when not before a pause, or when
unemphatic. It is understood to belong to all other syllables.

§ 6. The _circumflex_ (~) is placed on a syllable formed by
the combination of two, the first of which had an acute and the second
a grave; hence only on the last, or next to the last syllable, and
only on a long vowel or a diphthong. When the last syllable has a
short vowel, such a penult, if accented, takes the circumflex.



3. BREATHINGS, VOWELS, DIPHTHONGS, ETC.


§ 7. A vowel beginning a word takes either the _rough
breathing_, (῾), which is pronounced like _h_, or else, to
show the absence of that, _the smooth breathing_, (᾿), which
has no appreciable sound. Initial ρ and υ always take the rough
breathing; and double ρ in the middle of a word takes the smooth
breathing on the first, and the rough on the second.

§ 8. The vowels are short, (ε and ο,) long, (η and ω,) or
doubtful, (α, ι, and υ,) which last, although naturally short, are
sometimes lengthened by derivation.

§ 9. The diphthongs are as follows:--

Proper. With Iota Subscript. Improper.
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