Kuthamini Lugha za Biblia — Sehemu ya 7: Alfabeti ya Kigiriki Kifungu cha 2 (Nu hadi Omega)Language Appreciation — Unit 7: Greek Alphabet Part 2 (Nu through Omega)

Takriban mwaka 95 B.K., mzee mmoja aitwaye Yohana aliishi peke yake kwenye kisiwa kidogo chenye miamba katika Bahari ya Aegea, kiitwacho Patmo. Yeye ndiye aliyekuwa wa mwisho kati ya wale Kumi na Wawili. Petro alikuwa amesulibiwa huko Rumi miongo mitatu kabla. Yakobo, ndugu yake Yohana, alikuwa amekatwa kichwa na Herode Agripa huko Yerusalemu miaka hamsini kabla ya hapo. Paulo alikuwa ameuawa chini ya utawala wa Nero katikati ya miaka ya sitini. Katika kundi lile la kwanza la mitume ni Yohana peke yake aliyebaki, na mfalme Domitiani alikuwa amemfukuza hadi kisiwa hiki cha mawe kwa kosa la kuhubiri kwamba Yesu ni Bwana na Kaisari si Bwana. Huenda Yohana alikuwa na umri wa miaka tisini na kitu — mzee, peke yake, na kwa kadiri mtu yeyote katika Dola la Kirumi alivyojua, asiye na madhara. Domitiani aliamini kwamba amemnyamazisha mtume wa mwisho kwa kumpeleka kwenye kisiwa cha machimbo ya mawe katikati ya bahari.Around AD 95, an old man named John lived alone on a small rocky island in the Aegean Sea called Patmos. He was the last of the Twelve. Peter had been crucified in Rome three decades earlier. James the brother of John had been beheaded by Herod Agrippa in Jerusalem fifty years before that. Paul had been executed under Nero in the mid-sixties. Of the original apostolic band only John was left, and the emperor Domitian had banished him to this stony island for the crime of preaching that Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not. John was probably in his nineties — old, alone, and as far as anyone in the Roman Empire knew, harmless. Domitian believed he had silenced the last apostle by sending him to a quarry island in the middle of the sea.

Siku moja ya Jumapili — "siku ya Bwana," kama Yohana anavyoandika — mtume yule mzee alipokuwa akiomba, Sauti kama sauti ya baragumu ilisema nyuma yake. Aligeuka, akamwona Kristo aliyefufuka amesimama katikati ya vinara saba vya dhahabu. Maneno ya kwanza yaliyotoka kinywani mwa Bwana aliyetukuzwa, yaliyoandikwa kwa Kigiriki na mtume wa mwisho aliyekuwa bado hai, yalikuwa: "Egô eimi to Alpha kai to Ômega" — "Mimi ni Alpha na Omega, Mwanzo na Mwisho." Takriban mwaka 85–95 B.K., Yohana huyo huyo, ambaye wakati huo alikuwa mzee huko Efeso, alikuwa ameifungua Injili yake kwa sentensi nyingine ya Kigiriki: "Hapo mwanzo kulikuwako Logos." Neno Logos linaanza na Lambda — herufi ya kumi na moja, uliyojifunza katika Sehemu ya 6. Omega ni herufi ya ishirini na nne — herufi ya mwisho, herufi utakayojifunza usiku huu. Maandiko mawili makuu ya mtume wa mwisho yanaizungushia fremu Agano Jipya lote la Kigiriki kwa herufi za Kigiriki. Lambda inaifungua Injili. Omega inaufunga Ufunuo.On a Sunday — "the Lord's Day," John writes — the old apostle was praying when a Voice like the sound of a trumpet spoke behind him. He turned and saw the risen Christ standing among seven golden lampstands. The first words out of the mouth of the glorified Lord, written down in Greek by the last living apostle, were: "Egô eimi to Alpha kai to Ômega" — "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." Around AD 85–95 the same John, by then an old man at Ephesus, had opened his Gospel with another Greek sentence: "In the beginning was the Logos." Logos begins with Lambda — the eleventh letter, learned in Unit 6. Omega is the twenty-fourth — the last letter, the letter you will learn tonight. The last apostle's two great writings frame the entire Greek New Testament with Greek letters. Lambda opens the Gospel. Omega closes the Revelation.

Domitiani alimpeleka Yohana kwenye kisiwa cha machimbo ya mawe ili kumnyamazisha. Kristo Aliyefufuka alimtembelea huko na kumwamuru aandike kitabu cha mwisho cha Biblia.Domitian sent John to a quarry island to silence him. The Risen Christ visited him there and dictated the last book of the Bible.

Kwa nini sehemu hii inaanzia hapa? Kwa sababu Sehemu ya 6 ilikuacha katikati ya daraja, na Sehemu ya 7 inakuvusha hadi ng'ambo. Mwishoni mwa somo hili utaijua kila herufi ya alfabeti ya Kigiriki, utaweza kusoma Yohana 1:1 katika lugha ambayo Yohana aliiandikia, na utakuwa umejifunza herufi ya mwisho ya cheo ambacho Kristo Mwenyewe alijipa. Mfungwa wa Patmo alimsikia Bwana Aliyefufuka akijitambulisha kwa kutumia alfabeti yenyewe. Usiku huu unaimaliza alfabeti.Why does this unit open here? Because Unit 6 left you halfway across the bridge, and Unit 7 carries you the rest of the way over. By the end of this lesson you will know every letter of the Greek alphabet, you will be able to read John 1:1 in the language John wrote it, and you will have learned the last letter of Christ's own self-given title. The exile on Patmos heard the Risen Lord identify Himself by the alphabet itself. Tonight you finish the alphabet.

TulipofikaWhere we are

Ulimaliza Sehemu ya 6 ukiwa na herufi kumi na mbili za kwanza za Kigiriki na maneno matatu ya Kigiriki (kai, thelêma, Bêthleem). Sehemu ya 7 inafundisha herufi kumi na mbili za mwisho: Nu, Xi, Omicron, Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi, Omega. Mwishoni utaisoma sentensi maarufu kuliko zote katika Agano Jipya katika lugha yake ya asili. Sehemu ya 8 na ya 9 zinafunua hazina kuu za maneno ya Kigiriki ya Agano Jipya — logos, agapê, charis, pneuma, na mengineyo. Sehemu ya 10 inafundisha namba za Strong katika njia zote tatu (karatasi, simu, na mtandao kamili), na Sehemu ya 11 ni uchunguzi wako wa kwanza halisi wa neno. Umekwisha kufika sehemu tisa kwa kumi ya safari.You finished Unit 6 with the first twelve Greek letters and three Greek words (kai, thelêma, Bêthleem). Unit 7 teaches the last twelve letters: Nu, Xi, Omicron, Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi, Omega. At the end you will read the most famous sentence in the New Testament in its original language. Units 8 and 9 unfold the great Greek word treasures of the New Testament — logos, agapê, charis, pneuma, and more. Unit 10 teaches Strong's numbers in all three forms (paper, phone, full internet) and Unit 11 is your first real word study. You are nine-tenths of the way home.

Nusu ya kwanza ya alfabeti ya Kigiriki ilikuwa, kama ulivyogundua, rahisi kuliko ulivyotarajia. Herufi nane kati ya zile kumi na mbili zinafanana kabisa na herufi za Kiingereza. Nusu ya pili ya alfabeti inavutia zaidi. Baadhi ya herufi hapa zina maumbo mapya kabisa (Xi, Psi, Omega). Nyingine zinaonekana kuzoeleka lakini zina sauti tofauti — hawa ndio "marafiki wadanganyifu" ambao Sehemu ya 6 ilikuonya kwamba wanakuja. Tatu kati yao hasa zinastahili sentensi ya tahadhari hata kabla hujafungua jedwali.The first half of the Greek alphabet was, as you discovered, friendlier than you expected. Eight of those twelve letters look identical to English letters. The second half of the alphabet is more interesting. Some letters here are wholly new shapes (Xi, Psi, Omega). Some look familiar but make different sounds — these are the false friends that Unit 6 warned you were coming. Three in particular deserve a sentence of warning before you even open the table.

Tahadhari ya 1: Nu (ν) si v. Herufi ndogo inayofanana na v ndogo ya Kilatini kwa kweli ni herufi ya Kigiriki ya n. Ukiona ν katika neno la Kigiriki, sema "n," si "v." Tahadhari ya 2: Rho (ρ) si p. Herufi ndogo inayofanana na p ndogo ya Kilatini kwa kweli ni herufi ya Kigiriki ya r. Ukiona ρ, sema "r," si "p." Na herufi kubwa Ρ (inayofanana kabisa na P ya Kiingereza) nayo ni r, si p. Tahadhari ya 3: Chi (χ) si "ch" kama katika "church." Herufi inayofanana na X hutoa sauti ya kooni "kh" (fikiria "loch" ya Kiskoti au "Bach" ya Kijerumani). Pia si X ya Kilatini. Mitego hii mitatu huwanasa wanafunzi tisa kati ya kumi wanaoanza. Kuijua mapema kunakuweka katika asilimia kumi bora kabla hujasoma hata neno moja.Warning 1: Nu (ν) is not v. The lowercase letter that looks like a small Latin v is actually the Greek letter for n. When you see ν in a Greek word, say "n," not "v." Warning 2: Rho (ρ) is not p. The lowercase letter that looks like a small Latin p is actually the Greek letter for r. When you see ρ, say "r," not "p." And capital Ρ (which looks identical to English P) is also r, not p. Warning 3: Chi (χ) is not "ch" as in "church." The letter that looks like an X makes a guttural "kh" sound (think Scottish "loch" or German "Bach"). It is also not the Latin X. These three traps catch nine out of ten beginners. Knowing them in advance puts you in the top ten percent before you read a single word.

Ramani ya njiaThe road map

Herufi zilizo hapa chini zimepangwa katika makundi manne ya herufi tatu tatu. Soma majina kwa sauti unapoyapitia. Wanafunzi wengi huiona nusu ya pili kuwa rahisi kuliko walivyotarajia kwa sababu tayari wamezoesha "misuli yao ya kusoma" katika nusu ya kwanza.The letters below come in four groups of three. Read the names aloud as you scan them. Most students find the second half easier than they expected because they have already broken in their reading muscles on the first half.

KundiGroup	HerufiLetters	MaelezoNote
13–1513–15	Nu, Xi, OmicronNu, Xi, Omicron	Rafiki mdanganyifu mmoja (Nu), umbo moja jipya kabisa (Xi), pacha mmoja anayefanana kabisa (Omicron)One false friend (Nu), one wholly new shape (Xi), one identical twin (Omicron)
16–1816–18	Pi, Rho, SigmaPi, Rho, Sigma	Pi ni rafiki; Rho ndio mtego mkubwa; Sigma ina maumbo mawili ya herufi ndogoPi is friendly; Rho is the big trap; Sigma has two lowercase forms
19–2119–21	Tau, Upsilon, PhiTau, Upsilon, Phi	Tau inakamilisha undugu na Kiebrania (Tav = Tau); Phi inatupa "ph"Tau closes the Hebrew kinship (Tav = Tau); Phi gives us "ph"
22–2422–24	Chi, Psi, OmegaChi, Psi, Omega	Chi ni kifupisho-alama (monogramu) cha Kristo; Psi inatupa "psyche"; Omega inaifunga alfabetiChi is the monogram of Christ; Psi gives us "psyche"; Omega closes the alphabet

Soma kila jina kwa sauti. Angalia maumbo ya herufi kubwa na ndogo. Tazama mrithi wake katika Kiingereza. Kisha andika kila herufi ndogo mara tatu katika daftari lako. Kufikia sasa, mzunguko huu wa mkono na jicho ni kazi unayoifahamu.Read each name aloud. Notice the capital and lowercase forms. Look at the English heir. Then write each lowercase letter three times in your notebook. By now the hand-to-eye loop is familiar work.

Herufi kubwaCapital	Herufi ndogoLowercase	JinaName	SautiSound	Mrithi wa KiingerezaEnglish heir
ΝΝ	νν	NuNu	"n" (SI "v"!)"n" (NOT "v"!)	NN
ΞΞ	ξξ	XiXi	"x" au "ks" kama katika "axis""x" or "ks" as in "axis"	X (sauti tu)X (sound only)
ΟΟ	οο	OmicronOmicron	"o" fupi kama katika "lot"short "o" as in "lot"	OO
ΠΠ	ππ	PiPi	"p""p"	PP

Maelezo kuhusu herufi hizi nneNotes on these four letters

Nu ni herufi ya kumi na tatu. Tahadhari muhimu sana: herufi ndogo ν inafanana na "v" ya Kiingereza lakini kwa kweli ni "n." Huyu ni binamu wa karibu wa mtego wa Eta wa Sehemu ya 6 (herufi kubwa Η inafanana na H lakini ni "e" ndefu). Unaposoma ν, sema "n." Nu kubwa inafanana kabisa na N ya Kiingereza. Nu ndogo inaonekana kama N kubwa iliyopunguzwa na kuvutwa ikawa umbo la "v." Nu inafungua maneno mengi muhimu ya Agano Jipya: nomos (νόμος, sheria), nikos (νίκος, ushindi — ambalo kwalo tunapata jina "Nicholas" [Nikolao], lenye maana ya "watu washindi"), na nepios (νήπιος, mtoto mchanga).Nu is the thirteenth letter. Critical warning: the lowercase ν looks like an English "v" but is actually "n." This is the first cousin of the Eta trap from Unit 6 (capital Η looks like H but is long-e). When you read ν, say "n." Capital Nu looks identical to English N. Lowercase nu looks like a smaller capital N pulled into a "v" shape. Nu opens many important New Testament words: nomos (νόμος, law), nikos (νίκος, victory — from which we get the name "Nicholas," meaning "victorious people"), and nepios (νήπιος, infant).

Xi ni herufi ya kumi na nne na ndiyo umbo pekee jipya kabisa katika kundi hili. Herufi kubwa Ξ inaonekana kama mistari mitatu ya kulala (au kama kipigo-mayai cha zamani cha kuzungusha kwa mkono kilicholazwa ubavuni). Herufi ndogo ξ inaonekana kama kijikunjo kidogo cha madaha. Sauti yake ni "ks" au "x" kama katika maneno ya Kiingereza "axis" au "Lexington." Xi inafungua xulon (ξύλον, mti/ubao — neno ambalo Mitume wanalitumia kwa msalaba katika Matendo 5:30 na 1 Petro 2:24, "yeye mwenyewe alizichukua dhambi zetu katika mwili wake juu ya ule mti").Xi is the fourteenth letter and the only wholly new shape in this group. Capital Ξ looks like three horizontal bars (or an old hand-cranked egg beater on its side). Lowercase ξ looks like an extravagant little squiggle. The sound is "ks" or "x" as in English "axis" or "Lexington." Xi opens xulon (ξύλον, wood — the word the Apostles use for the cross in Acts 5:30 and 1 Peter 2:24, "who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree").

Omicron ni herufi ya kumi na tano, nayo ni faraja: herufi kubwa na ndogo zote zinafanana kabisa na O ya Kiingereza. Jina lake lina maana ya "o ndogo" (o-micron = "o ndogo"). Inaambatana na Omega ("o kubwa," o ndefu), ambayo tutakutana nayo baada ya muda mfupi. Omicron ni o fupi inayolingana nayo, unayoisikia katika neno la Kiingereza "hot" au la Kihispania "sol."Omicron is the fifteenth letter and a relief: both capital and lowercase look identical to English O. The name means "little o" (o-micron = "small o"). It is paired with Omega ("big o," long o), which we will meet in a moment. Omicron is the short-o counterpart that you hear in English "hot" or Spanish "sol."

Pi ni herufi ya kumi na sita. Baada ya mtego wa Eta na mtego wa Nu, Pi ni kama inavyoonekana hasa — sauti ya "p." Herufi kubwa Π inaonekana kama goli au mlango (katika hisabati ndiyo Pi maarufu, uwiano wa mzingo wa duara kwa kipenyo chake, 3.14159...). Herufi ndogo π ina umbo lile lile, ila dogo zaidi. Pi inafungua idadi kubwa mno ya maneno ya Agano Jipya: pneuma (πνεῦμα, roho/upepo/pumzi — Sehemu ya 9!), pater (πατήρ, baba), pistis (πίστις, imani), polis (πόλις, mji), na pros (πρός, pamoja na/kuelekea — utalisoma katika Yohana 1:1 baada ya dakika chache).Pi is the sixteenth letter. After the Eta trap and the Nu trap, Pi is exactly what it looks like — a "p" sound. Capital Π looks like a goal post or a doorway (in mathematics it is the famous Pi, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, 3.14159...). Lowercase π is the same shape, smaller. Pi opens enormous numbers of New Testament words: pneuma (πνεῦμα, spirit/wind/breath — Unit 9!), pater (πατήρ, father), pistis (πίστις, faith), polis (πόλις, city), and pros (πρός, with/toward — you will read this in John 1:1 in a few minutes).

Herufi kubwaCapital	Herufi ndogoLowercase	JinaName	SautiSound	Mrithi wa KiingerezaEnglish heir
ΡΡ	ρρ	RhoRho	"r" (SI "p"!)"r" (NOT "p"!)	RR
ΣΣ	σ / ςσ / ς	SigmaSigma	"s""s"	SS
ΤΤ	ττ	TauTau	"t""t"	TT

Maelezo kuhusu herufi hizi tatuNotes on these three letters

Rho ni herufi ya kumi na saba na ndiye rafiki mdanganyifu mkubwa kuliko wote katika Kigiriki. Herufi kubwa Ρ inafanana kabisa na P ya Kiingereza. Herufi ndogo ρ inafanana kabisa na p ndogo ya Kiingereza. Zote mbili kwa kweli ni "r." Huu ndio mtego unaowaangusha wasomaji wapya wa Kigiriki kuliko mwingine wowote. Ukiona Ρ au ρ katika Kigiriki, sema "r." Maneno machache ya Kiingereza yanahifadhi kumbukumbu hii: maneno ya Kiingereza yanayoanza na "rh" (Rhonda, rhetoric, rhinoceros, Rhode Island) karibu kila mara yanatoka katika maneno ya Kigiriki yaliyoanza na Rho. Ile "h" baada ya "r" ni alama ya zamani ya pumzi ya Kigiriki iliyokuwa ikikaa juu ya rho iliyo mwanzoni mwa neno. Rho inafungua maneno mengi muhimu sana ya Agano Jipya: rhema (ῥῆμα, neno lililotamkwa), rhabdos (ῥάβδος, fimbo — Kristo "atawachunga kwa fimbo ya chuma"), na jina Ῥόδη (Rôdê, "Roda" — kijakazi aliyekuwa langoni pa nyumba ya Mariamu katika Matendo 12, aliyemwacha Petro akibisha hodi).Rho is the seventeenth letter and the single biggest false friend in Greek. Capital Ρ looks identical to English P. Lowercase ρ looks identical to a small English p. Both are actually "r." This is the trap that betrays more new Greek readers than any other. When you see Ρ or ρ in Greek, say "r." A few English words preserve the memory: words that start with "rh" in English (Rhonda, rhetoric, rhinoceros, Rhode Island) almost always come from Greek words that started with Rho. The "h" after the "r" is the old Greek breathing mark that originally sat on top of an initial rho. Rho opens many critical New Testament words: rhema (ῥῆμα, spoken word), rhabdos (ῥάβδος, rod — Christ "rules them with a rod of iron"), and the name Ῥόδη (Rôdê, "Rhoda" — the servant girl at Mary's gate in Acts 12 who left Peter knocking).

Sigma ni herufi ya kumi na nane, S ya Kigiriki, ikiwa na jambo moja la ajabu: ina maumbo mawili ya herufi ndogo. Umbo la kwanza, σ, hutumika mwanzoni au katikati ya neno. Umbo la pili, ς (huitwa "sigma ya mwisho"), hutumika tu mwishoni kabisa mwa neno. Tazama neno la Kigiriki la Yesu: Ἰησοῦς — unaiona ς ya mwisho ikilifunga neno. Tazama pia Christos (Χριστός) — ς ya mwisho iko mwishoni, neno linapofungwa. Lugha ya Kiingereza ilikuwa ikifanya jambo kama hilo kwa "s ndefu" (ſ) hadi takriban mwaka 1800; Biblia za zamani za wakati wa Tyndale bado zinaitumia ("Bleſſed are the meek..."). Kigiriki kilishikilia mfumo wake wa maumbo mawili ya s na hakijawahi kuuacha. Sigma kubwa (Σ) inaonekana kama M iliyolazwa ubavuni au kama E ya Kiingereza iliyovunjika mstari wa kati.Sigma is the eighteenth letter, the Greek S, with one curiosity: it has two lowercase forms. The first form, σ, is used at the beginning or middle of a word. The second form, ς (called "final sigma"), is used only at the very end of a word. Look at the Greek word for Jesus: Ἰησοῦς — you see the final ς closing the word. Look instead at Christos (Χριστός) — final ς at the end, as the word closes. The English language used to do something similar with the "long s" (ſ) until about 1800; old Bibles from Tyndale's era still use it ("Bleſſed are the meek..."). Greek kept its long-s system and never gave it up. Capital Sigma (Σ) looks like a sideways M or an English E with the middle bar broken.

Tau ni herufi ya kumi na tisa na ni kurudi nyumbani kuzuri. Tau ni mzao wa moja kwa moja wa Kigiriki wa Tav ya Kiebrania — herufi ya mwisho ya alfabeti ya Kiebrania, herufi ya pili katika lile neno dogo la Aleph-Tav, et, tulilojifunza katika Sehemu ya 3. Herufi kubwa Τ na ndogo τ zote zinafanana na T ya Kiingereza. Umbo la Kigiriki, umbo la Kiebrania (ת), na T yetu wenyewe vyote vinatoka katika alama moja ya kale ya Kifoinike iliyomaanisha "ishara" au "alama ya msalaba." Tau inafungua teknon (τέκνον, mtoto — jinsi Yohana anavyowaita waamini katika nyaraka zake: "watoto wadogo"), topos (τόπος, mahali — ambalo kwalo tunapata "topography"), na neno tetelestai (τετέλεσται, "Imekwisha") — neno la mwisho la Kristo msalabani katika Yohana 19:30.Tau is the nineteenth letter and a beautiful homecoming. Tau is the direct Greek descendant of the Hebrew Tav — the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the second letter in the little Aleph-Tav word et we studied in Unit 3. Both capital Τ and lowercase τ look like English T. The Greek shape, the Hebrew shape (ת), and our own T all trace back to the same ancient Phoenician mark that meant "sign" or "cross-mark." Tau opens teknon (τέκνον, child — what John calls believers in his epistles: "little children"), topos (τόπος, place — from which "topography"), and the word tetelestai (τετέλεσται, "It is finished") — Christ's last word from the cross in John 19:30.

Herufi kubwaCapital	Herufi ndogoLowercase	JinaName	SautiSound	Mrithi wa KiingerezaEnglish heir
ΥΥ	υυ	UpsilonUpsilon	"u" / ü ya Kijerumani"u" / German ü	U, V, W, YU, V, W, Y
ΦΦ	φφ	PhiPhi	"ph" / "f""ph" / "f"	(hakuna mrithi wa moja kwa moja; sauti inakuwa "f")(no direct heir; sound becomes "f")
ΧΧ	χχ	ChiChi	"kh" (ya kooni, SI "ch" kama katika "church")"kh" (guttural, NOT "ch" as in church)	(hakuna mrithi wa sauti; mrithi wa umbo ni X)(no sound heir; visual heir is X)
ΨΨ	ψψ	PsiPsi	"ps" kama katika "lapse""ps" as in "lapse"	(hakuna mrithi wa moja kwa moja)(no direct heir)
ΩΩ	ωω	OmegaOmega	"o" ndefu kama katika "tone"long "o" as in "tone"	O (umbo refu)O (long form)

Maelezo kuhusu herufi hizi tanoNotes on these five letters

Upsilon ni herufi ya ishirini. Herufi kubwa Υ inafanana na Y ya Kiingereza. Jina lake lina maana ya "u sahili" (u-psilon, sambamba na e-psilon ya Sehemu ya 6). Upsilon ndiye mzazi mkarimu kuliko wote katika alfabeti ya Kigiriki: kutoka kwake wanatoka U, V, W, na Y za Kiingereza — herufi nne za Kiingereza kutoka chanzo kimoja cha Kigiriki. Upsilon inafungua huios (υἱός, mwana — Kristo "Mwana wa Mungu," ho huios tou theou), hudor (ὕδωρ, maji — "hydro-" katika Kiingereza), na hupokrites (ὑποκριτής, mnafiki — hapo awali mwigizaji aliyevaa kinyago, ndivyo Yesu anavyowaita Mafarisayo katika Mathayo 23).Upsilon is the twentieth letter. Capital Υ looks like English Y. The name means "simple u" (u-psilon, paralleling e-psilon from Unit 6). Upsilon is the most generous parent letter in the Greek alphabet: from it descend English U, V, W, and Y — four English letters from one Greek source. Upsilon opens huios (υἱός, son — Christ "the Son of God," ho huios tou theou), hudor (ὕδωρ, water — "hydro-" in English), and hupokrites (ὑποκριτής, hypocrite — originally an actor wearing a mask, what Jesus calls the Pharisees in Matthew 23).

Phi ni herufi ya ishirini na moja, chanzo cha muungano wa herufi "ph" katika Kiingereza. Herufi kubwa Φ na ndogo φ zote zinaonekana kama mstari wima unaopita katikati ya duara. Sauti yake ni "f" (kama katika "phone," "Philip," "phosphorus"). Phi inafungua phileo (φιλέω, upendo wa kindugu — mojawapo ya maneno matatu ya Kigiriki ya upendo tutakayojifunza katika Sehemu ya 9), phos (φῶς, nuru — "Mungu ni nuru" katika 1 Yohana 1:5), na jina Philippos (Φίλιππος, Filipo — "mpenda farasi").Phi is the twenty-first letter, the source of the English "ph" combination. Both capital Φ and lowercase φ look like a vertical line through a circle. The sound is "f" (as in "phone," "Philip," "phosphorus"). Phi opens phileo (φιλέω, brotherly love — one of three Greek words for love we will study in Unit 9), phos (φῶς, light — "God is light" in 1 John 1:5), and the name Philippos (Φίλιππος, Philip — "lover of horses").

Chi ni herufi ya ishirini na mbili na ndiyo herufi yenye uzito mkubwa zaidi wa kitheolojia katika alfabeti ya Kigiriki. Herufi kubwa Χ na ndogo χ zote zinafanana na X. Sauti yake ni "kh" ya kooni ("loch" ya Kiskoti, "Bach" ya Kijerumani, "j" ya Kihispania katika "José") — si "ch" ya Kiingereza ya "church." Chi ni herufi ya kwanza ya Christos (Χριστός), "Aliyetiwa Mafuta," tafsiri ya Kigiriki ya neno la Kiebrania Masihi. Kwa miaka elfu mbili Wakristo wametumia herufi moja ya Kigiriki Χ kama kifupisho cha herufi moja cha Kristo. Neno "Xmas" (Krismasi) si jaribio la kisasa la kuondoa dini; ni kifupisho-alama (monogramu) cha Kikristo kinachorudi nyuma hadi karne za kwanza za kanisa. Unapoona "Xmas" kwenye kadi, unaitazama herufi ya Kigiriki Chi ikisimama badala ya Kristo. Kifupisho-alama maarufu cha Chi-Rho ☧ — X na P zilizopandana — kinaunganisha herufi mbili za kwanza za Christos (Χ-Ρ, "Ch-r"). Inasemekana kwamba Mfalme Konstantino aliiona ishara hii angani kabla ya Vita vya Daraja la Milvio mwaka 312 B.K. Imo kwenye makaburi katika makaburi ya chini ya ardhi (katakombu) ya Rumi. Imo kwenye pete-mihuri za kale za Kikristo. Ndiyo alama ya zamani kuliko zote ya imani ya Kikristo.Chi is the twenty-second letter and the single most theologically loaded letter in the Greek alphabet. Both capital Χ and lowercase χ look like an X. The sound is a guttural "kh" (Scottish "loch," German "Bach," Spanish "j" in "José") — not the English "ch" of "church." Chi is the first letter of Christos (Χριστός), "the Anointed One," the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah. For two thousand years Christians have used the single Greek letter Χ as a one-letter shorthand for Christ. The word "Xmas" is not a modern secularization; it is a Christian monogram going back to the first centuries of the church. When you see "Xmas" on a card, you are looking at the Greek letter Chi standing for Christ. The famous Chi-Rho monogram ☧ — the X and the P overlaid — combines the first two letters of Christos (Χ-Ρ, "Ch-r"). Emperor Constantine reportedly saw this sign in the sky before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312. It is on tombs in the Roman catacombs. It is on ancient Christian seal-rings. It is the oldest symbol of the Christian faith.

Psi ni herufi ya ishirini na tatu na ni umbo jipya kabisa: herufi kubwa Ψ inaonekana kama mkuki wa meno matatu au uma wa nyasi; herufi ndogo ψ ni vivyo hivyo. Sauti yake ni "ps" kama katika maneno ya Kiingereza "lapse" au "psalm." Psi inafungua psuchē (ψυχή, nafsi au uhai — ambalo kwalo Kiingereza kinapata "psychology," "psychiatry," na "psyche"). Yesu analitumia katika Mathayo 16:26: "Kwa kuwa mtu atafaidiwa nini, akiupata ulimwengu wote, na kupata hasara ya psuchē yake?"Psi is the twenty-third letter and a wholly new shape: capital Ψ looks like a trident or pitchfork; lowercase ψ is the same. The sound is "ps" as in English "lapse" or "psalm." Psi opens psuchē (ψυχή, soul or life — from which English "psychology," "psychiatry," and "psyche"). Jesus uses it in Matthew 16:26: "What is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own psuchē?"

Omega ni herufi ya ishirini na nne na ya mwisho ya alfabeti ya Kigiriki. Jina lake lina maana ya "o kubwa" (ô-mega = "o kuu"), tofauti na Omicron ("o ndogo"). Herufi kubwa Ω inaonekana kama kiatu cha farasi; herufi ndogo ω inaonekana kama mawimbi madogo mawili yaliyo kando kwa kando. Omega ni o ndefu inayolingana na o fupi ya Omicron. Na bila shaka, Omega ndicho cheo ambacho Kristo anajichukulia katika Ufunuo 22:13: "Mimi ni Alpha na Omega, Mwanzo na Mwisho, wa Kwanza na wa Mwisho." Usiku huu umejifunza herufi zote mbili za cheo alichojipa Mwenyewe.Omega is the twenty-fourth and final letter of the Greek alphabet. The name means "big o" (ô-mega = "great o"), in contrast to Omicron ("little o"). Capital Ω looks like a horseshoe; lowercase ω looks like two little waves side by side. Omega is the long-o counterpart of Omicron's short-o. And Omega is, of course, the title Christ takes for Himself in Revelation 22:13: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." Tonight you have learned both letters of His self-given title.

Hatimaye, alfabeti nzimaThe whole alphabet, finally

Sasa unazijua herufi zote ishirini na nne za Kigiriki. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Nu, Xi, Omicron, Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi, Omega. Isome kwa sauti mara moja kabla ya kuendelea. Kuna jambo la kusisimua kimya kimya katika kutamka alfabeti ya Kikristo ambayo hukuweza kuitamka saa moja iliyopita.You now know all twenty-four Greek letters. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Nu, Xi, Omicron, Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi, Omega. Say it aloud once before you move on. There is something quietly thrilling about saying a Christian alphabet you could not have said an hour ago.

Ulitarajia kilele cha Sehemu ya 7 kiwe herufi mpya ngumu. Kwa kweli kilele ni sentensi ambayo umeijua maisha yako yote ya Kikristo — sentensi ambayo hukuweza kuisoma dakika arobaini zilizopita. Fungua Agano Jipya lako kwenye mstari wa kwanza kabisa wa Injili ya Yohana. Kwa Kigiriki unasomeka hivi:You expected the climax of Unit 7 to be a hard new letter. The climax is actually a sentence you have known your whole Christian life — a sentence you could not have read forty minutes ago. Open your New Testament to the very first verse of John's Gospel. In Greek it reads:

Soma mstari wa Kigiriki kwa sauti. Polepole. Kutoka kushoto kwenda kulia, kama Kiingereza. Acha jicho lako lifuatilie kila herufi. Umekwisha kukutana nazo zote. Tupitie neno kwa neno.Read the Greek line out loud. Slowly. Left to right, like English. Let your eye trace each letter. You have met them all. Let us walk through it word by word.

Ἐν — "en" — kihusishi cha Kigiriki "katika." Herufi mbili: Epsilon na Nu. Kialama kidogo juu ya Epsilon ni "pumzi laini" — kinakuambia kwamba neno linaanza na irabu, si na "h." (Kialama hicho kinapojikunja upande mwingine, neno linaanza na sauti ya "h" — utaona mfano mmoja baada ya muda mfupi.)Ἐν — "en" — the Greek preposition "in." Two letters: Epsilon and Nu. The little mark over the Epsilon is a "smooth breathing" — it tells you the word starts with a vowel, not an "h." (When the mark curls the other way, the word starts with an "h" sound — you will see one in a moment.)

ἀρχῇ — "archê" — "mwanzo." Herufi tatu mpya katika neno moja: Alpha, Rho (kumbuka, "r" si "p"!), Chi ("kh" ya kooni), Eta. Iota ndogo iliyoandikwa chini ya Eta ni herufi isiyotamkwa kutoka Kigiriki cha zamani zaidi — iache kwa sasa. Archê ndiyo mzizi wa maneno ya Kiingereza "archaic," "archaeology," "monarch" (mtawala mmoja), "patriarch" (baba-mtawala). Neno hili lina maana ya mwanzo wa awali kabisa, chanzo cha asili.ἀρχῇ — "archê" — "beginning." Three new letters in one word: Alpha, Rho (remember, "r" not "p"!), Chi (the guttural "kh"), Eta. The little subscript iota under the Eta is a silent letter from older Greek — just ignore it for now. Archê is the root of English "archaic," "archaeology," "monarch" (the one ruler), "patriarch" (the father-ruler). The word means primal beginning, original source.

ἦν — "ên" — "alikuwako" (wakati "usiotimilifu" katika Kigiriki, wenye maana ya "alikuwa akiendelea kuwako"). Herufi ya kwanza ni Eta ("e" ndefu, SI "h"). Kigiriki kinatoa hoja nyeti hapa: Kristo alikuwa akiwako; hakuanza kuwako.ἦν — "ên" — "was" (an "imperfect" tense in Greek, which means "was continuously being"). The first letter is Eta (long "e," NOT "h"). Greek is making a subtle point: Christ was being; He did not begin to be.

ὁ — "ho" — "yule" (kibainishi cha umoja cha jinsia ya kiume). Safari hii kialama kidogo juu ya Omicron kinajikunja upande mwingine — ni "pumzi nzito" nacho kinaongeza sauti ya "h." Ho = "yule" (the).ὁ — "ho" — "the" (the masculine singular article). This time the little mark over the Omicron curls the other way — it is a "rough breathing" and adds an "h" sound. Ho = "the."

Λόγος — "Logos" — "Neno." Herufi tano: Lambda, Omicron, Gamma, Omicron, Sigma ya mwisho (angalia ς mwishoni). Hili ndilo neno kuu. Tutalichunguza kwa sehemu nzima katika Sehemu ya 8. Kwa sasa, jua kwamba Logos ndilo neno ambalo Yohana analichagua ili kumtambulisha Kristo. Kwa akili ya Mgiriki lilibeba yote ambayo "Neno," "Akili/Busara," "Hekima ya Kimungu," na "Kweli Iliyotamkwa" yanabeba kwetu.Λόγος — "Logos" — "Word." Five letters: Lambda, Omicron, Gamma, Omicron, final Sigma (notice the ς at the end). This is the great word. We will study it for an entire unit in Unit 8. For now, know that Logos is the word John reaches for to identify Christ. It carried for the Greek mind everything that "Word," "Reason," "Divine Wisdom," and "Spoken Truth" carry for ours.

καί — "kai" — "na." Herufi tatu: Kappa, Alpha, Iota. Ulikwisha kulijua hili kutoka Sehemu ya 6 (namba ya Strong G2532).καί — "kai" — "and." Three letters: Kappa, Alpha, Iota. You already knew this from Unit 6 (Strong's G2532).

πρὸς — "pros" — "pamoja na, kuelekea, uso kwa uso na." Herufi nne: Pi, Rho ("r" si "p"!), Omicron, Sigma ya mwisho. Pros ya Kigiriki ina maana zaidi ya "pamoja na" — ina maana ya "kuelekeana, katika uhusiano na." Neno alikuwa uso kwa uso na Mungu.πρὸς — "pros" — "with, toward, face-to-face with." Four letters: Pi, Rho ("r" not "p"!), Omicron, final Sigma. Greek pros means more than "with" — it means "facing toward, in relationship with." The Word was face-to-face with God.

τὸν Θεόν — "ton Theon" — "Mungu" (kihalisi "yule Mungu"; hali ya mtendewa, yaani kitu cha "pros"). Angalia Theta ikifungua Theon.τὸν Θεόν — "ton Theon" — "the God" (accusative case, the object of "pros"). Notice Theta opening Theon.

Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος — "Theos ên ho Logos" — "Mungu alikuwa yule Neno" (ambayo kwa lugha ya kawaida zaidi hutafsiriwa "Neno alikuwa Mungu"). Angalia mpangilio wa maneno: Kigiriki kinaweka "Mungu" kwanza ili kusisitiza. Logos yule yule aliyekuwa pamoja na Mungu alikuwa Mungu.Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος — "Theos ên ho Logos" — "God was the Word" (which English translates more naturally as "the Word was God"). Notice the word order: Greek puts "God" first for emphasis. The very same Logos who was with God was God.

Hapo mwanzo kulikuwako Logos — naye Logos alikuwako kwa Mungu — naye Logos alikuwa Mungu. Sentensi ya Kigiriki yenye uzito mkubwa zaidi wa kitheolojia, na sasa unaweza kusoma kila herufi yake.In the beginning was the Logos — and the Logos was with God — and the Logos was God. Greek's most theologically loaded sentence, and you can now read every letter.

Usomaji mmoja zaidi, polepole: "En archê... ên... ho Logos... kai ho Logos... ên pros ton Theon... kai Theos ên ho Logos." Maneno kumi na nane ya Kigiriki, na kila herufi unaijua. Sentensi hii imesomwa na kila kizazi cha Kikristo kwa miaka elfu moja na mia tisa. Usiku huu ni yako.One more reading, slowly: "En archê... ên... ho Logos... kai ho Logos... ên pros ton Theon... kai Theos ên ho Logos." Eighteen Greek words, every letter known to you. This sentence has been read by every Christian generation for nineteen hundred years. Tonight it is yours.

Neno moja zaidi: samakiOne more word: the fish

Neno la Kigiriki la "samaki" ni ichthus — Iota-Chi-Theta-Upsilon-Sigma. Herufi tano, sauti tano: "i-kh-th-u-s." Wakristo wa kwanza walilitumia kama ishara ya siri wakati wa mateso ya Kirumi kwa sababu kila moja ya herufi hizo tano inasimama badala ya neno: Ἰησοῦς (Iêsous, Yesu), Χριστός (Christos, Kristo), Θεοῦ (Theou, wa Mungu), Υἱός (Huios, Mwana), Σωτήρ (Sôtêr, Mwokozi) — "Yesu Kristo, Mwana wa Mungu, Mwokozi." Chora nusu ya samaki mchangani kwa fimbo yako; kama mgeni uliyekutana naye njiani akiikamilisha, yeye ni ndugu. Usiku huu unaweza kuusoma ule ukiri wa imani wa Kikristo wa herufi tano uliolisaidia kanisa kustahimili Rumi.The Greek word for "fish" is ichthus — Iota-Chi-Theta-Upsilon-Sigma. Five letters, five sounds: "i-kh-th-u-s." Early Christians used it as a secret sign during the Roman persecutions because each of the five letters stands for a word: Ἰησοῦς (Iêsous, Jesus), Χριστός (Christos, Christ), Θεοῦ (Theou, of God), Υἱός (Huios, Son), Σωτήρ (Sôtêr, Savior) — "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior." Scratch a half-fish in the dirt with your staff; if the stranger you met on the road completes it, he is a brother. Tonight you can read the five-letter Christian creed that helped the church survive Rome.

Fungua Biblia yako mara moja tena kwenye Ufunuo 22:13 — mstari uliofungua Sehemu ya 6 na sasa unaifunga Sehemu ya 7. Kristo ndiye anayesema: "Mimi ni Alpha na Omega, Mwanzo na Mwisho, wa Kwanza na wa Mwisho." Katika Sehemu ya 6 ulijua herufi ya kwanza tu ya cheo chake. Usiku huu unaijua ya mwisho. Yeye ndiye herufi ya kwanza na Yeye ndiye herufi ya mwisho na Yeye ndiye kila herufi iliyo katikati — alfabeti nzima ya Kigiriki kati ya mikono yake miwili. Sura ya kwanza ya Yohana (Logos, Lambda) na sura ya mwisho ya Ufunuo (Omega) zote ziliandikwa na Yohana. Mzee yule yule wa Patmo. Alfabeti ile ile ya Kigiriki. Kristo yule yule.Open your Bible once more to Revelation 22:13 — the verse that opened Unit 6 and now closes Unit 7. Christ is speaking: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." Unit 6 you knew only the first letter of His title. Tonight you know the last. He is the first letter and He is the last letter and He is every letter in between — the whole Greek alphabet between His two arms. The first chapter of John (Logos, Lambda) and the last chapter of Revelation (Omega) are both authored by John. The same old man on Patmos. The same Greek alphabet. The same Christ.

Na usisahau ulinganifu wa Kiebrania uliofichwa ndani ya Mwanzo 1:1, tulioupata katika Sehemu ya 3. Lile neno dogo la Kiebrania et — linaloandikwa Aleph-Tav — limekaa bila kuonekana kati ya "Mungu" na "mbingu" katika sentensi ya kwanza ya Biblia. Aleph na Tav ni herufi ya kwanza na ya mwisho ya alfabeti ya Kiebrania, Alpha na Omega ya Kiebrania. Sentensi ya kwanza ya Biblia inanong'ona kile ambacho kitabu cha mwisho kinapiga kelele. Kristo kwenye Aleph katika Mwanzo; Kristo kwenye Tav katika Mwanzo. Kristo kwenye Alpha katika Ufunuo; Kristo kwenye Omega katika Ufunuo. Alfabeti ya Kiebrania, alfabeti ya Kigiriki, mstari wa ufunguzi, mstari wa kufunga — Kristo katika kila pembe ya Maandiko.And do not forget the Hebrew parallel hiding inside Genesis 1:1, which we found in Unit 3. The little Hebrew word et — spelled Aleph-Tav — sits invisible between "God" and "the heavens" in the Bible's opening sentence. Aleph and Tav are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the Hebrew Alpha and Omega. The first sentence of the Bible whispers what the last book shouts. Christ on the Aleph in Genesis; Christ on the Tav in Genesis. Christ on the Alpha in Revelation; Christ on the Omega in Revelation. Hebrew alphabet, Greek alphabet, opening verse, closing verse — Christ at every corner of Scripture.

Aleph-Tav ya Kiebrania katika Mwanzo 1:1. Alpha-Omega ya Kigiriki katika Ufunuo 22:13. Kristo katika kila pembe ya Biblia.Hebrew Aleph-Tav in Genesis 1:1. Greek Alpha-Omega in Revelation 22:13. Christ at every corner of the Bible.

Umetoka mbali. Katika Sehemu ya 2 ulikutana na alfabeti iliyosomwa kinyume na iliyoonekana tofauti kabisa na yako. Sehemu tano baadaye unaweza kusoma sentensi ya kwanza ya Injili ya Yohana katika lugha yake ya asili na ule ukiri wa imani wa herufi tano uliochorwa kwenye kuta za katakombu za Rumi. Sehemu ya 8 itafungua maneno makuu: Logos, Agapê, Charis, Pneuma. Mpando mgumu kuliko yote umekwisha. Mandhari kutoka juu ya mlima inaanza sasa.You have come a long way. In Unit 2 you met an alphabet that read backwards and looked nothing like yours. Five units later you can read the opening sentence of John's Gospel in its original language and the five-letter creed scratched on Roman catacomb walls. Unit 8 will open the great words: Logos, Agapê, Charis, Pneuma. The hardest climbing is over. The view from the ridge starts now.

Zoezi la Daftari (karatasi na kalamu)Notebook Activity (paper and pen)

Fungua daftari lako kwenye ukurasa mpya. Upe kichwa "Sehemu ya 7 — Nusu ya Pili ya Alfabeti ya Kigiriki." Tengeneza jedwali lenye safu tano: Herufi kubwa, Herufi ndogo, Jina, Sauti, Mrithi wa Kiingereza/Kihispania. Jaza herufi kumi na mbili kwa mpangilio wake: Nu hadi Omega. Weka nyota kwa rangi nyekundu kwenye herufi tatu: Nu (n si v), Rho (r si p), Chi (kh si "ch"). Hawa ndio marafiki wadanganyifu watatu watakaokunasa mara nyingi zaidi. Chini ya jedwali, andika Yohana 1:1 kwa Kigiriki kwa mkono — mara moja kwenye mstari wake peke yake, mara moja ukiwa na unukuzi (transliteration) chini yake, na mara moja ukiwa na tafsiri (ya Kiswahili au ya Kiingereza) chini ya hiyo. Kisha andika ΙΧΘΥΣ kwa herufi kubwa pamoja na yale maneno matano ya Kigiriki yameandikwa kando yake: Ἰησοῦς, Χριστός, Θεοῦ, Υἱός, Σωτήρ. Malizia kwa kuandika herufi zote ishirini na nne za Kigiriki kwa mpangilio, kwa herufi ndogo, mara mbili. Usiku huu mkono wako umeandika alfabeti iliyoliandika Agano Jipya.Open your notebook to a fresh page. Title it "Unit 7 — The Second Half of the Greek Alphabet." Make a table with five columns: Capital, Lowercase, Name, Sound, English/Spanish heir. Fill in the twelve letters in order: Nu through Omega. Star three letters in red: Nu (n not v), Rho (r not p), Chi (kh not "ch"). These are the three false friends that will catch you most often. Below the table, write out John 1:1 in Greek by hand — once on its own line, once with transliteration underneath, once with English translation underneath that. Then write ΙΧΘΥΣ in capital letters with the five Greek words spelled out beside it: Ἰησοῦς, Χριστός, Θεοῦ, Υἱός, Σωτήρ. Close by writing all twenty-four Greek letters in order, lowercase, twice. Tonight your hand has written the alphabet that wrote the New Testament.