κραυγή - κλαγγή

[jaihare]

Is there a difference between these two words? The Homeric textbook used κλαγγή but FGB is starting us out with κραυγή for apparently the same meaning. Is it basically the same?

[modus.irrealis]

My feeling (for what it's worth) is that κραυγή is just your regular shout, while κλαγγή is more like a shriek but has a broader application to sounds and refers to thinks like the screams of birds or the clash of metal against metal. It might be helpful to look at the entries in L&S, together with related words like κλάζω.

[jaihare]

Thanks a lot. I'll look it up tonight. Don't know why I didn't do that first!

[Damoetas]

Yes... You'll find that in Greek, as in most languages, there are lot of words and expressions that are roughly synonymous. The difference is often that one is more poetic, while the other is more ordinary and prosaic. A good dictionary like LSJ will point things like this out; you will also start to develop a sense of it as you read more, and see the contexts in which each word is used. (The same goes for the question on your other post, about ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς vs. ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ.)