cwconrad wrote:I'm one that does indeed believe that learning the roots is of fundamental value when learning vocabulary, but one still needs to learn the basic lexical data for each word (e.g. nom. sg., gen. sg. gender as well as root); BUT in order to make use of the roots learned, one must also grasp (1) the formative elements (prefixes, infixes, suffixes, etc.) for all inflected word-forms, (2) the conjugational and declensional patterns of of every type of nominal and verbal category, and (3) the phonological principles governing the conventional orthography of ancient Greek. I don't know of a single beginning textbook in ancient Greek that explains all these elements (and I'm dubious as to whether it's all in the new Porter-Reed-O'Donnell primer of which it is said by one reviewer that it gives more information about the language than a beginning student can digest). I was blessed with a marvelous teacher who taught ancient Greek phonology and word-construction in the regular course of everyday introduction of new morphology patterns and I've tried to teach it to my own students over the years. All that one needs to know about these matters is set forth clearly and intelligibly in Smyth's grammar, which also refers back to the phonology in the presentation of every nominal and verbal mophological paradigm. I've referred to that information in Smyth's grammar many times over the years in response to questions raised in this forum and its predecessor mailing list about precisely such matters as why the genitive of χάρις is χαριτος or why the genitive of βασιλεύς is βασίλεως. I've made a very brief handout on ancient Greek phonology available at my web site and included it in my Supplement to Reading Greek on a page listing my old course handouts:
http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/current.html
Bookmarked. Looks like a lot of interesting stuff you got on that page. Which reminds me: I was thinking of going on to Wallace's GGBB as soon as I finish Mounce's BBG, but I was wondering if I should take a look at your material and some of the books above that you mentioned. I think I have a Smyth and/or Porter book stashed away somewhere, and I also have Robinson's Mastering Greek Vocab. I'm wondering if it would be a smoother transition to Wallace if I looked at those things first. Or after Wallace. What do you recommend?
