Another new sorority... Iota Theta Eta???

[SWTXBelle]

Not the Da Vinci code -she's speaking in tongues!

Pronunciation guidelines? Does anyone here who isn't an ITwhatever have any trouble pronouncing Greek? I can even say Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Phi correctly - and Alpha Xi is a piece of cake.

( I disliked my linguistics class - it was the only one I didn't like in grad school.)

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Pronunciation guidelines? Does anyone here who isn't an ITwhatever have any trouble pronouncing Greek? I can even say Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Phi correctly - and Alpha Xi is a piece of cake.

I have always heard Gamma Phi Beta with a long I in Phi.
Is Alpha Phi with the long E instead?

[SWTXBelle]

Yep - and those Alpha Phis hate it when you call them Alpha "PhI "instead of Alpha "Phee".

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Pronunciation guidelines? Does anyone here who isn't an ITwhatever have any trouble pronouncing Greek? I can even say Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Phi correctly - and Alpha Xi is a piece of cake.

If you really pronounce Xi the "Greek" way rather than the "American Greek" way, I am impressed.

But not as impressed as I'll be if the ITEs pronounce Iota the correct Greek way.

[SWTXBelle]

There's the whole "Alpha Xi Delta" vs. "Theta Xi" - I'm good with both, but can't remember which is "American Greek" and which is "Greek Greek". I know, I know - I have to admit I didn't study my Greek as much as I should have. I cheat and have my husband the Greek teacher help me out!

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

There's the whole "Alpha Xi Delta" vs. "Theta Xi" - I'm good with both, but can't remember which is "American Greek" and which is "Greek Greek". I know, I know - I have to admit I didn't study my Greek as much as I should have. I cheat and have my husband the Greek teacher help me out!

Xi is the Greek equivalent of the English X, and the "Greek Greek" pronunciation is "Ksee," with both the k and the s sounds being pronounced.

English speakers are not used to beginning words with a "ks" sound, so we have anglicized all words borrowed from Greek that begin with X, including Xi (and xylophone and Xerxes), by replacing the "ks" sound with a "z" sound.

So,
Ksee is Greek Greek
Zee is Anglicized Greek
Zi is Americanized Greek

[SWTXBelle]

No wonder I look at my husband funny when he's reading Greek!
Mystic Cat - do any of the GLOs use the "Greek Greek"?? (am now practicing . . .it's hard !)

[ladygreek]

I met some really old heads Omegas once (yes older than me) who pronounced their fraternity Omega Psee Phee.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

I met some really old heads Omegas once (yes older than me) who pronounced their fraternity Omega Psee Phee.

Impressive!

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

No wonder I look at my husband funny when he's reading Greek!
Mystic Cat - do any of the GLOs use the "Greek Greek"?? (am now practicing . . .it's hard !)

If you mean with Xi, none that I've ever heard of, but there might be one out there. Most GLOs use anglicaed/americanized names for most Greek letters. But those GLOs that say Phee are using correct "Greek Greek."

(FYI, in modern "Greek Greek," my org would be pronounced Phee Mee Ahlpha and yours would be Ghamma Phee Veeta. Try that one out some time. )

ETA: This BBC site gives a good overview of the modern "Greek Greek" pronunciation of the letter names. Some surprises there.