Αncient Greek for the young and the old
Αncient Greek for the young and the old From 7 to 97 years old From the moment of our birth and even before that, we hear our first language. We learn to recognize words through sounds. We hear mam (= eat in Greek baby talk) from our mom (mama in Greek) and we associate it with soft, liquid food, the milk that never finishes; the root-word mao (μάω) in Ancient Greek means "long for", "deeply desire". We hear also the nasal calming nanana (νανανααα) of the melodic lullaby for nani (νάνι), for sleeping; The root-word nao (νάω) in Ancient Greek means“flow” or “run constantly, infinitely”. Later as we grow up, we hear the word (μ)πάλλα (bala= ball) which is the first sphere that bounces (=πάλλεται, palete in Greek) in our hands, connecting us for the first time with the universe. This is all about a journey into the language through a colourful, lively game in which participate hearing, the body, the voice, and writing. We “touch” ancient texts by Homer, Heraclitus, Hesiod, Plato, which, contrary to what people believe, are not difficult, because we re-cognise them, get to know them anew as we see Modern Greek words through their etymological meaning, their very first, original significance. By combining, analyzing, contrasting, philosophizing, spelling in Ancient Greek and especially by playing, we acquire fundamental skills, such as understanding the main structures of the syntax and recognizing the etymological roots. These skills will gradually lead us to a broader understanding of the Greek language and, finally, to the production of our own speech with more maturity and self-awareness. |
