Language Resources: Greek

Aka LSJ (Lidell-Scott-Jones). The common, often used classical Greek lexicon.

A newer lexicon than the LSJ with material not represented in the LSJ.

The Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary is a brand new dictionary that is ideal for beginners learning Classical Greek at the college level. It covers over 20,000 Greek words and phrases in clear, user-friendly translations, and over 4,000 English words in common usage. The dictionary also offers help with Greek to English sentence construction and prose composition, and provides grammatical guidance with tables of irregular verbs and a glossary of grammatical terms. Additional information includes a list of numerals, a guide to pronunciation, and a map of Greece.

Focuses on the Greek usage of the New Testament authors.

Focuses on the Greek usage of the Church Fathers.

Examines the origins, variants, derivatives, and more of Greek vocabulary.

This work exhibits a complete English vocabulary, so far, at least, as there are words in Greek by which the English words can be literally or adequately rendered, and, where this cannot be one, to supply, wherever practicable, the deficiency by phrases.

The Oxford Grammar of Classical Greek gives clear, concise, and easily understood explanations of all the key points of Classical Greek grammar. With additional features such as a glossary of grammatical terms, a vocabulary list covering all the Greek words found in the main text, study tips, and practice exercises to help develop knowledge and gain confidence, this invaluable resource ensures that students have all the support they need to complement their language learning.

A descriptive (as opposed to historical/comparative) grammar helpful for reference or reviewing grammatical concepts.

Leonard R. Palmer provides a history of the Greek language, including an overview of the coming of the Greeks, the Linear B. Tablets, the Greek dialects, genres (in poetry and prose), and a comparative-historical grammar. Palmer discusses the transformation of the Greek language from its Indo-European roots, through the Bronze and Dark Ages, to the Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman periods and beyond. Major authors and genres are discussed throughout the history, including essays on Homer, Melic poetry, tragedy, Herodotus and Thucydides.

In presenting the first (1934) edition of this essential work, Denniston set himself to cut down the etymological discussion which characterized his German predecessors in the field. He was concerned to illustrate how particles work and how they nuance Greek language within the corpus of surviving work. His primary aim was "literary, not grammatical or etymological." With this in mind he regarded exemplification as the key, citing much more than his predecessors in the belief that "the reader should be enabled to bathe in examples." When Denniston died (1949), he left copious notes including additional examples and changes of mind in the light of fresh material; these were incorporated by K.J. Dover in the second edition (1950) with new material of his own and the addition of indexes. The book is a definitive piece of scholarship, essential for all who wish to read Greek literature with serious appreciation.