The Lighthouse to Ancient Greek: Interview with PHAROS author Adrian Hundhausen

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

If you want to learn to read and speak Ancient Greek, Latin, Biblical Hebrew, or Old English in fun, immersive classes, sign up for lessons by August 10 for the fall semester at AncientLanguage.com 🏺📖 Adrian Hundhausen has taken five years to compose what I believe is the most important lexicon for Ancient Greek of the 21st century. The thematically organized chapters of The Pharos teach you related vocabulary and demonstrate which words are used more or less frequently, which authors in the authentic ancient texts used them, and their derivational connexions. I vehemently recommend the book ὁ Φάρος (the Pharos) by Adrian Hundhausen, and you can purchase it here on Amazon: amzn.to/4cHDgNV 📕

[@Dionysios_Skoularikis]

I have a field around 12.000 square metres, 5 kms from Ancient Olympia. If anyone is interested.....

[@Seventh7Art]

@@Dionysios_Skoularikis Any specific suggestion?

[@Dionysios_Skoularikis]

@@Seventh7Art Για τι ενδιαφέρεστε αγαπητέ;

[@Seventh7Art]

Fun fact: All modern Greek words that are composite, use only ancient Greek parts, rejecting the modern Greek words which may be loans from foreign languages. For example we say nero = water in modern Greek, but the composite word for aqueduct is NOT nero-gogeio but ydragogeio from ancient Greek ydor. Another example is door: porta in modern Greek but thyra in ancient Greek. Window in modern Greek is parathyro, NOT paraporto. This way, ancient Greek words have been forever secured in the future of the Greek language. Also, thousands of Bronze Age Proto-Greek words (dating back to 1500-2000 BC) are either the same or sound very similar to modern Greek. Hint: Check the Linear B Lexicon (dictionary) for a comparative study, to confirm my "bold" claim. The names of some Greek Gods like Ares or Zeus were recorded in surviving Linear B clay tablets that date back to the 14th and 15th century BC.

[@Seventh7Art]

@@Dionysios_Skoularikis Ειδα την αναφορα στην Αρχαια Ολυμπία και προσπαθω να καταλαβω αν η αναφορα των 12 στρεμματων ειναι αγγελια πώλησης ακινήτου ή κάτι άλλο... Μια διευκρίνιση θα βοηθουσε να καταλάβουμε

[@cristianpurcaru]

This guy is a genius

[@francescog3959]

Y'all already know Luke is about to macronize the hell out of this book

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

Haha, already on it

[@francescog3959]

@@polyMATHY_Luke On a more serious note, though. I know a bit of latin (I have read the entirety of LLPSI pars prima), and I am currently reading Athenaze (I just now finished chapter 3). Would you recommend that I get this book, or would you recommend I get a regular vocabulary first?

[@davidross2004]

@@francescog3959I’m obviously not Luke; however, I just got this book and find it incredibly helpful. I’m using a combination Lógos and Athenaze to learn Greek. Pharos has made this journey so much easier. You won’t go wrong purchasing it.

[@w.l.kampsen7461]

This was simply fabulous. I made the purchase five minutes into the interview. Thank you Luke and Adrian.

[@genegoranov5865]

Me too :)

[@Flugs0]

As a Swiss, what Adrian said about people from German-speaking Swiss cantons speaking English to each other because they don't understand each other's dialect cannot be true. Everyone from those areas also speaks standard German, alongside their Swiss dialect, and they would most certainly be more inclined to switch over to German, rather than English. Otherwise fantastic interview and fantastic book.

[@rossanofragale7470]

Totally agree with Adrian: the ancient greek novels are beautiful and really close to our modern taste. They are criminally underrated!

[@TheAncientGeek]

I love this. There is no better tool than learning by semantic domains, really. Absolutely I'm buying this. [There's a similar approach in Johannes P. Louw's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (1999)]

[@Tubulus3546]

This books sounds very good so I have ordered it.Congratulations to the author. I have been involved in making my own thematic Latin vocabularies for many years as as an adjunct to attending the "Conventicula Lexintoniensia" and am always surprised at the Latin sources that people don't know about, particularly technical writers. On another very minor but to me intriguing note: you guys pronounce the word neologism quite differently from the way I do! I stress the first "o". :) (Petrus Australianus)

[@Laocoon283]

My favorite part was when he started playing the piano on his cats back

[@kainech]

I wish I had this in the 90s. Time to buy.

[@apriljohnson6191]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is the book I wish I had when starting this journey.

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

Me too! Enjoy, it’s amazing

[@RoninTWanderer]

Just purchased one, beyond excited!

[@billowen9823]

Luke I Really Enjoyed That Dramatic Introduction🤣🤣🤣🤣And This Is A Fantastic Book!!!!!!

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

Haha thanks!

[@billowen9823]

@@polyMATHY_Luke Very Creative!!!!!! I Enjoyed It!!!!! I Will Watch Again!!!!!!

[@morphingindisguise]

Excellent recommendation! I've been thinking of starting a project like this for japanese given that there's no real "concept translation" for most methods of teaching the language, rather ,straightforward meanings that tend to be taught without any background whatsoever.

[@GaiusAnnaeusIacobus]

Thanks for making this video, Luke! And thank you for making this book, Adrian! I just ordered my copy.

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

Salvē, amīce Annaee!

[@jeremychambers]

Great interview. I have the book and I know I will be referring to it regularly. You guys really left us hanging with the discussion on the Greeks telling time differently. I am very eager to hear what Adrian has to say about it. Bring him back soon! 🙏🏻

[@RevelationOfTheSpirit]

I like the book a lot and it’s way better than reading straight through a dictionary, but do I just read it straight through? Would it be good to add this to your spreadsheet for the Ranieri-Roberts approach to learning Ancient Greek?

[@iberius9937]

Excellent talk so far! Probably one of your best with any of your guests on here!

[@jeremiahreilly9739]

Thank you both. A fun work, which may or may not be in the book, is the Βατραχομυομαχία , a parody of the Iliad, probably written in the Hellenistic Period (Battle between the Frogs and the Mice).

[@tavuzzipust7887]

Ordered.

[@Marble8King]

1:04:00 - υπολογιστής - this is what you are looking for. From the verb υπολογίζω (υπό + λόγος) = to calculate, so literally "calculator".

[@williambranch4283]

Ordered today. Oupa!

[@josefk332]

Great discussion, just added it to ‘my basket’. Looking forward to reading it.

[@betawithbrett7068]

ἤδη εἶδον τοῦτον τὸν ἔνδοξον ἄνδρα λαλοῦντα τῇ Ἰεννι ἥ καλλίστη διδάσκαλός ἐστιν, περὶ τούτου τοῦ βιβλίου. Αὕτη ἦν ἡ αἰτία ἥ ἔπεμψε με ἀγορᾶσαι τοῦτο τὸ βιβλίον. εὖγε!! μέγα χαῖρω!!

[@raederle9070]

Hah! Did I identify with that intro! Book ordered 33 seconds in...😂

[@constantineholmes]

I have received a copy, and I can't put it down! χάριν οἶδά τινι

[@sirsherguioth4573]

Will you include this book in The Ranieri-Roberts Approach to Ancient Greek?

[@jarts1166]

Yes, please

[@tavuzzipust7887]

Curious to see to what extent the vocabulary listed in Pharos overlaps with that of pseudo-Apollodorus" Library that I'm reading at the moment and which perhaps is the most read (extra-biblical) book in Koine.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

I wish I had the money to buy this book - it's an excellent companion to Hayden & Quinn's _Intensive Greek 2nd Revised Edition_ that Dr. Ammon Hillman strongly recommends!

[@Pink--Black]

The solution to the whole ancient Greek pronunciation conundrum is well formulated by Adrian and Luke starting at 42:50. Just use whatever system you've learned, use it consistently, don't worry about it, and actually work on acquiring the language itself. Once you've reached an intermediate to advanced intermediate level, you will find that you understand most accents with ease. Other advanced learners will easily understand you too, no matter what pronunciation system you use. If you later find that you like another pronunciation better, you will naturally adopt it by listening a lot to the people who use it. But always use the one you like, that is easy for you, that feels natural to you, no matter how 'wrong' it supposedly is. There will always be those 'peanut gallery' people who will be commenting upon your pronunciation, even though they cannot even speak the language themselves. Who cares about people like that? Don't let them bog you down, because this whole pronunciation issue can really become an affective filter, seriously hindering or even preventing you from learning the language. Experts on second language acquisition agree that negative emotions associated with a language obstruct learning, to the point of making it impossible. Yes, you are actually required to relax for this thing to work; you must enjoy, you must have fun, if you want to be anywhere near efficient with learning any language. So forget about all the finger wagging, and once you got acquainted with the various systems from a theoretical phonological point of view (Luke's videos are very useful for that!), simply go on to pronounce ancient Greek exactly the way you feel like, that feels good and that comes natural to you. Only then can you do the real work of learning the language. 💜🖤

[@fabriciofontes2898]

Is it possible to acquire the book digitally? A Kindle or EPUB version.

[@highlandergunn9240]

Thank God this showed up I was about to loose my mind watching regular KZbin garbage. I want that book, I've been teaching myself ancient greek for about 5 yrs now, slow going, but I have a Bible wrote in ancient greek and I've been reading that. It's REALLY HARD finding ANYTHING wrote in ancient Greek 😂

[@DutchComedian]

What do you want to read? Which genre? Poetry, Philosophy, Novels, Bible, etc? I can make some recommendations perhaps.

[@highlandergunn9240]

@@DutchComedian thanks, philosophy and history would be my favorites but any topic would be greatly appreciated 👍

[@DutchComedian]

Do you know of Geoffrey Steadman's books? They're free on his website, and some are available in paperback too. He adds grammar and vocab notes below the Greek text of Herodotus Thucydides Xenophon, Plato, & Aristotle (among others)

[@highlandergunn9240]

@@DutchComedian nice, thanks man, I'll check his site out

[@g.h.milanboseblut5616]

Hes veeeery pro. The best old languages teacher in the world

[@BesserGlauben]

10:30 I've not once worried ever about the Nibelungenlied even as a native speaker haha

[@Tubulus3546]

With regard to sources I particularly like the use of Artemidorus, Dioscorides and Hero of Alexandria among others, but miss Longus' "Daphnis & Chloe" in the popular narratives.

[@SpartanLeonidas1821]

Interesting what he did with the Word Formations. Modern Greeks can see all these naturally. Exei - To Have Schedon - Almost

[@fredrutter610]

Thanks for this fascinating conversation. Where does one find koine, apart from the New Testament, especially the “fun” stuff Adrian mentions? Attic is lots of fun, to wit Aristophanes’ The Clouds, The Birds, The Wasps or Lysistrata, all of them full of humour and wit.

[@adrianhundhausen2522]

Periplus of Hanno, Physiologus, Life of Aesop, Alexander Romance, Phlegon of Tralles, On the Bravery of Women (Plutarch), the Sentences of Hadrian in the Hermeneumata, Aesop's fables...

[@fredrutter610]

@@adrianhundhausen2522 Many thanks for that. Will investigate.

[@josiahbills1273]

Have you seen the new desert fathers intermediate reader? It's done in a really cool way by simplifying authentic texts.

[@johnboyce8279]

What's the title?

[@josiahbills1273]

@@johnboyce8279 Reading Greek with the Desert Fathers: An Intermediate Greek Reader

[@johnboyce8279]

@@josiahbills1273 God bless you! Many and sincere thanks for taking the trouble to reply so quickly!

[@RiccardoRadici]

Thanks, Luke, for this video and congratulations to Adrian for his magnificent work! Since I know you are very keen on Greek phonology, I want to draw your attention to a work by linguist Luciano Canepari titled "Ancient Greek Pronunciation & Modern Accents", which is freely available on his website as a PDF. Based on linguistic science, he draws his own very peculiar conclusions about classical Attic pronunciation. Perhaps you might want to read it.

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

Wow! It’s absolutely CRAZY. I know Canepari from other papers. I have a lot of esteem for him, but his proposals are, at first glance, very hard to swallow. I shall have to read this carefully. Grazie!

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

I enjoyed his paper (I've read it all just now), but I'm persuaded by the need for peer-reviewing - very many of his facts are outright wrong. While his derisive attitude to the orthography is entertaining, he is way out of his depth when it comes to a lot of the chronology and data - his interpretation of a great deal of what he comments on is glibly superficial, and so he reaches incorrect conclusions very quickly. Half of this stuff reads like my humor-video "Greek Gotcha," except I think he is serious. For example, he says iota-subscript was an invention of Aristophanes of Byzantium; it wasn't, as it was a Mediaeval invention. He's off by a thousand years. The fact that he dimisses long vowels in un-stressed syllables (why is he talking about stress?) as impossible in "natural languages" shows how isolated he is - Japanese, Hungarian, Finnish would all like to have a word with him. 4.15 Is especially entertaining in how bad his data are. He tries to assert that ζ /zd/ for Classical Attic is preposterous, as Aeolic had /zd/ and represented it as σδ, comparing Aeolic σδεύγλα with Attic ζεύγλη. The problem is that literary Aeolic was passed down to us via their being written down in the Hellenistic Period based on the Koine Pronunciation of the letters. Thus Sappho's work today has πέσδων where Attic/Koine have πεζῶν, but this is because those scribes wished to show what contemporary Aeolic sounded like, where older /zd/ was retained yet was replaced in Koine by /zz/. Canepari frames 4.15 as a "gotcha!" moment against the establishment, but his chronology is off since he hasn't put the work in to figure out the details. I love the earnestness with which he is seeking to apply modern linguistic understanding to Ancient Greek without being overly influenced by traditional sources. Unfortunately, a lot of his input data are wrong, so his conclusions are wrong. A shame he hadn't met me first! I would have loved what he might have come up with. As it is, he has developed a sort of conlang, a phonology that is weakly rooted in the reality.

[@RiccardoRadici]

@@polyMATHY_Luke I completely agree. It seems to me that he wanted to apply his deep linguistic knowledge to Ancient Greek, but he neglected to do the necessary preliminary studies on historical Greek phonology, so he made many mistakes. In my opinion, he underestimated the problem of how badly Ancient Greek pronunciation is known even among scholars: instead of asking the counseling of Fernando Maggi, I wish he had met you and Turrigiano!

[@davemills3298]

I purchased this book and find it very interesting. Fascinating. I could use help finding the common word οσος, η, ον. Try this and please let me know if I am missing a method of use for the lexicon.

[@adrianhundhausen2522]

Section 25a, very first entry :)

[@Theodisc]

Hahaha. His cat 🐈. And, very nice shirt, Luke. I like it. Does ths book cover grammer and specifically cases? I'm interested here in this book. Btw, my Greek language master told me that Greeks now speak Ancient Greek as if it modern when they are using it. Food for some thought. 💙🧿

[@konstantinoschronopoulos5470]

Awesome! Will it also come out in Kindle so as to be able to carry it around?

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

Well acquainted with the book, and I can say it wouldn’t too well in digital format.

[@SpartanLeonidas1821]

Difference between Hellenes & Romans: Statuae VS Agalma What do they each mean? 😃

[@ludwigvanbeethoven8164]

Does there exist a book like this for Latin vocabulary and phrases?

[@adrianhundhausen2522]

The closest thing that I am aware of is a thematic list of vocab. which forms part of Walter Ripman's 'Handbook of the Latin Language' (1930). It has a fair number of words and phrases, well organized thematically, but no frequency information at all. About 90 or 100 pages long, if I remember correctly.

[@rossanofragale7470]

Meissner Phraseology is the most cited

[@LaedensPerpetuus]

Salve Luci, spero te valere. Quid si hunc optimum librum ad Italiam mitti volo? Nexum aperiens tantum Amazonum americae foederatae video atque vecturae pretium satis magnum est! Gratias tibi . Vale.

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

Ad hoc licet quaerere apud Amazon.it

[@Philoglossos]

Ecce: www.amazon.it/%CE%A6%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82-Pharos-Thematic-Ancient-Vocabulary/dp/B0D5RNJRX4/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_it_IT=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=3RCZXMO2F9CIJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cL5h17KJG-i6oEcxrqSBog.SjsDzAv1GjFzDQe3mRt6okZJmnYzc8NJpcJGT5tADgM&dib_tag=se&keywords=%E1%BD%81+%CE%A6%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82&qid=1721572479&sprefix=%E1%BD%81+%CF%86%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-1

[@NathanNavarrete-r5m]

Can you interview Dr Ammon Hillman?

[@peterfireflylund]

Sounds like the tracking down of headwords could be automated with, say, Python (or Perl if you are 0ld Sk00l). You can write code that makes web requests + scrapes the resulting pages. If the websites are difficult, there are modules that actually use a real browser like a puppet you can control.

[@jankystreams3337]

I have Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata Pars I, but I still think Greek (Both modern and ancient) would be so awesome to learn and read. P.S. ok, maybe they wouldn't be *fun* at times to learn but whatever lol

[@danielroy8232]

is there something equvalent for Latin?

[@adrianhundhausen2522]

The closest thing that I am aware of is a thematic list of vocab. which forms part of Walter Ripman's 'Handbook of the Latin Language' (1930). It has a fair number of words and phrases, well organized thematically, but no frequency information at all. About 90 or 100 pages long, if I remember correctly.

[@mikesteele5935]

Is this on Amazon ... I can't find it ?

[@mikesteele5935]

OOPS I looked under lighthouse ... Found it under Pharos !

[@polyMATHY_Luke]

Link in the description!

[@jakelamotta7904]

Ahhh I remember you. From a video by Jenny

[@arturopena1210]

Is there an spanish edition?

[@arturopena1210]

@@aaronmoore3050 gracias

[@intelliGENeration]

Interesting that Thesaur-us means Bag (Thes) of Gold (Ar) in Albanian… as does Qesar (Caesar). If you’re not factoring in the Albanian language, you’re not going anywhere.

[@desativadoofficial]

What about the coincidence between Latin *cornu-* (horn) and Hebrew *qarn-* (horn), really amazing.

[@intelliGENeration]

@@desativadoofficial Inretesting. Empires are influenced by the people that make it up. Does qarn also mean “corn” or “cob”?

[@desativadoofficial]

@@intelliGENeration Considering Semitic Empires are older than European Empires, I'd say they influenced them at some point. I could suggest the Hittites, who where in connexion with Semitic nations since the ancient times and with the Greeks and other early European nations, they could've made the transportation of some borrowings into European languages.

[@desativadoofficial]

@@intelliGENeration I don't think *qarn-* (dictionary form *qeren*) could mean corn, by what I know, Germanic words beginning with H as horn came from early K, so *korn or *karn, while Germanic C or K usually came from G or something like that. Maybe Semitic *qarnum ended up as European *karnom or *kornom.

[@joek600]

🤣

[@SpartanLeonidas1821]

Hey Loukas, you should learn modern Greek, that way you will recognize roots & be able to automatically calculate the organic flow & transition of Greek words from Antiquity until today 😃

[@UncleFester-zz5jj]

Ordered.