Smooth breathing

The Spiritus lenis (Latin for lighter touch; ancient Greek: ἡ ψιλή (HE Psile, the Light ), Greek: η ψιλή (pronounced i Psilí ) ) denotes the initial vowel in contrast to alcohol asper, which was spoken as [h ]. The thesis that the alcohol would lenis the Glottisverschlusslaut [ ʔ ] denote, is unlikely from phonetic and metrical reasons. Thus, a final vowel is regularly elided before a word beginning with a vowel, which does not happen if the second word begönne with a Glottisverschlusslaut.

In the Greek Scriptures, both initial sounds ( πνεύματα - Puffs ) are reproduced, but not with letter but with diacritics.

Typographic characters with Letter:

The Spiritus lenis in Greek font looks like a mirror image, very small "c " and stands above the word incipient vowel ( or the second vowel of a word beginning diphthong ) of a vowel - ie without preceding "h " sound - incipient word. With an initial capital letter at the beginning of a sentence or for proper names, he, like all Greek diacritics left front instead of over it. When the same vowel also carries an accent, the alcohol is left of the Akutus or Gravis, but under the caret.

Each Greek word that begins in Scripture with a vowel letter, will receive either an alcohol or an alcohol asper lenis. This wear beginning with Ypsilon words always the spirit asper, with all other vowels occurs both. A Ypsilon with alcohol lenis about it only occurs as the second letter of a diphthong.

When the alcohol - lenis sign appears over a vowel in the word inside, it is called the Koronis and has a different meaning; it then indicates that here by contraction of two words ( crasis ) sounds are missing ( eg καλὸς κἀγαθός kalos kagathos from καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός kalos kai agathos, beautiful and good).

In modern Greek, which has the "h " sound in word-initial lost that become useless and only students unnecessary learning curve causing alcohol - characters were officially abolished by the writing reform of 1982 both, and simplifies the accents. Few conservative older people use it today.

Sources

Greek writing
Diacritic

Greek alphabet

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