Breathing marks... .

[David333]

I've changed my keyboard settings to Greek polytonic (on Word 2007 using a Vista computer) which means that I can type in Greek: αβγδ... . I've worked out how to add accents (ά) although am studying Koine Greek from Wenham who avoids accents in his Elements. Anyway, I can't work out how to add rough or smooth breathing marks to my vowels. Can anyone give me a clue please...? Thank you!

[jaihare]

I've changed my keyboard settings to Greek polytonic (on Word 2007 using a Vista computer) which means that I can type in Greek: αβγδ... . I've worked out how to add accents (ά) although am studying Koine Greek from Wenham who avoids accents in his Elements. Anyway, I can't work out how to add rough or smooth breathing marks to my vowels. Can anyone give me a clue please...? Thank you!

It's the same. You just have to hit the right key before your vowel.

' gives ἀ (smooth breathing).
" gives ἁ (rough breathing).
/ gives ἄ (smooth breathing with acute).
? gives ἅ (rough breathing with acute).
\ gives ἂ (smooth breathing with grave).
| gives ἃ (rough breathing with grave).
= gives ἆ (smooth breathing with circumflex).
+ gives ἇ (rough breathing with circumflex).

Regards,
Jason

[David333]

Thank you so much! I can now do what appears to be a rough breathing if I look very closely at my screen - ἀ. There doesn't seem to be any way of doing a smooth breathing without an accompanying accent though; is this right...?

[David333]

Okay, I've been playing. On reflection, here are my results:-

Circumflex - ᾶ
Circumflex with smooth breathing - ἆ
Grave accent - ὰ
Acute accent - ά
Smooth breathing with grave - ἂ
Smooth breathing with acute - ἄ

I think that I'm missing all of the possible rough breathings. Any advice please...? When you suggest " plus the vowel for a rough breathing, I don't actually have a " button: it's only shift plus 2 on my English keyboard and " isn't on the Greek keyboard. Sorry if I'm asking really obvious questions! Thanks again...

[modus.irrealis]

If a key gives you X + smooth breathing, then shift plus that key gives you X + rough breathing. So ' gives you just smooth breathing, but " = shift + ' gives you the rough breathing.

[David333]

If a key gives you X + smooth breathing, then shift plus that key gives you X + rough breathing. So ' gives you just smooth breathing, but " = shift + ' gives you the rough breathing.

Thank you! It does work. Thank you so much both of you for your help!

[Edited because of initial stupidity]

[David333]

Final question! By playing around I've managed to get a cedilla beneath a vowel - ῳ - but I'm struggling to get a cedilla underneath and another accent above the ω. Any ideas...?

[modus.irrealis]

You have to hold down the right alt key to add the iota subscript, so ᾷ is right-alt + [, ᾂ is right-alt + shift + \, and so on.

This only doesn't work for ᾳ which you've already got, and ᾴ which you get by right-alt + Q.

[David333]

Thank you so much! I really do appreciate your help. Somebody needs to write this stuff down somewhere! I really did try googling it... . That should have been my final answer but I'm tempted to ask how you get a Greek semi-colon...

[modus.irrealis]

You mean ·? That's right-alt + shift + ]

; is q + space (or the way I do it q + q + backspace )

[David333]

Thank you! I think that I finally have Mark 9 copied from my Nestle-Aland to my laptop, complete with unlearnt accents and fully memorised breathing marks. Now to exegete it

[Cilionelle]

This might help a little too, if you're typing it out from a hard copy Bible...