# Transcription of Greek writing



## bearded

Hello everyone
It is a well-known fact that Greek pronunciation does not fully correspond to the writing, since the latter is more conservative. For example: originally b, nowadays pronounced v; diphthong (originally) ei, now i, etc.
Now my question:
in translitteration to our 'Latin' alphabet, should the writing or the pronunciation be followed?
Do Greeks expect/prefer   ''katàlaves oti ipa?'' or ''katàlabes oti eipa?'' / 'sinvolikòs' or 'symbolikòs'?
Is there a rule or a method that all agree upon?
Many thanks in advance for your kind replies.


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## Perseas

Greek language written in Latin alphabet is (what many call) "Greeklish". It is used on internet forums, sms mostly by younger generations.
No, I don't think there is a rule or method that all agree upon. If I were to translitarate Greek to Latin alphabet, I would care that the sound or the optical form of the letter remains as closer as it gets to the Greek (but I am not always consistent with that).
For example, I would write "katalaves oti eipa/ipa", "simvolikos/symvolikos", "diafora", "ilios/hlios", "xioni", "den ksero/kserw", "gynaika"...

I found an interesting article in wikipedia (romanisation of Greek). Among others it says that the Greek name Γιάννης can be written  Yannis, Yanni, Jani, Ioannis, Yiannis, or Giannis. Also the masculine word Άγιος might appear as  Hagiοs, Agios, Aghios, or Ayios!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Greek


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## bearded

Your link is very interesting. I did not know about 'Greeklish'  Many thanks again, Perseas.


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## Perseas

I just wanted to add that the term "Greeklish" concerns Greek people, who use the Latin alphabet to write Greek words e.g. on sms', while they could write them in Greek. Some take a negative stance on this type of writing, arguing that harms the Greek language.
"Greeklish" does not concern non-Greeks in my opinion.


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## Nikolaos_Kandidatos

Why wouldn't Greeklish concern non-Greeks?


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## Perseas

Nikolaos_Kandidatos said:


> Why wouldn't Greeklish concern non-Greeks?


I mean non-Greeks whose knowledge of Greek is little or who are not used to the Greek alphabet in the first place, in contrast with Greeks. So I don't believe that one would blame them for not using the Greek alphabet. Moreover some don't know how to use the Greek alphabet in their PC's.


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## Eltheza

You are very kind and generous, Perseas! As you say. "... (There are) non-Greeks whose knowledge of Greek is little or who are not used to the Greek alphabet in the first place, in contrast with Greeks. So I don't believe that one would blame them for not using the Greek alphabet..."

Possibly like Nikolaos_Kandidatos above, I _can't stand_ Greeklish!

Here's a good link for anyone wanting to use the Greek alphabet on their PC - scroll down to *Install the Greek keyboard*:

http://www.xanthi.ilsp.gr/filog/info.htm
*
*


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## klemen

Transliteration of Greek names in Slovene is made regarding pronounciation of Greek words, not regarding writing.


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