9:27 p.m.--7/31/2005.
The Method of Greek Transliteration Used Here.

The method by which I transliterate the occasional Greek word appearing in this web-log will be analogous to that for Aramaic and Hebrew, i.e. to use a 'common' or phonetic pronunciation and--in this particular case-- to transliterate when it seems germane to do so. The urgency to transliterate precisely gets softened considerably in this instance because Greek has a vocalized alphabet, minimizing the mystery of pronunciation.
At any rate, in the special instances when a transliteration is required after the use of a phonetically-spelled Greek word, I shall use a modified form of the transliteration scheme found in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.

MY SYSTEM OF GREEK TRANSLITERATION, WITH MODIFICATIONS:

a=alpha; b=beta; g=gamma; d=delta; e=epsilon; z=zeta; E=eta; th=theta; i=iota;

k=kappa; l=lamda; m=mu; n=nu; x=xi; p=pi; r=rho; s=sigma; t=tau; u=upsilon;

ph=phi; ch=chi; ps=psi; O=omega.

As I indicate, I shall only use an exact transliteration when a 'dictionary' pronunciation is suspect.

8:21 a.m.--7/31/2005.
Aramaic/Hebrew Transliterations.

In this web-log, I shall for Aramaic and Hebrew transliterations into English first of all try to get a phonetic 'reading' from Marcus Jastrow (see last entry), followed in square brackets by a consonants-only transliteration based on the system employed by the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio.

HERE IS THE CAL APPARATUS:

)=aleph b=beth g=gimel h=he w=waw z=zayin x=heth

T=teth y=yodh k=kaph l=lamd m=mem n=nun s=samekh

(=ayin p=pe c=tzade q=qoph r=resh $=shin &=sin

t=taw

For the simple reason that vowel-signs are historically of recent origin, coming centuries after the original Semitic texts, I include vocalization in the anglicization of a word, for smoothness of pronunciation; the consonantal spelling is more 'at' the original.
In my next entry, I shall specify what method I shall use for the more limited case here of transliterating Greek words into the English alphabet.

9:09 p.m.--7/28/2005.
Making Introductions.

This must not be a long entry. Yet there are points I need to clarify to a reading public and to myself about this web-log.
I am struggling as a fledgling with the mother-tongue[s] of Jesus; I wish in this blog to document the in's and out's of those struggles. That is my understanding of what a blog glories in, and I suppose therefore one could call a blog a rough draft journal over-read by a potential audience. Being read is a consideration of mine, but I like also the thought of making notes and saving them publically, without using paper or printer.
I said I am struggling with Aramaic, here's how: I am learning the Palestinian Jewish Aramaic and the Mishnaic Hebrew which was common in Galilee in the lst century; I am learning the Syriac variety of Aramaic in which the early translations of the New Testament appeared; I am learning Old Testament Aramaic (there are essentially two varieties of it); and to the degree that it varies from Old Testament Aramaic I am reading the Aramaic portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
For the potential scholar who would follow after me, here are some valuable bibliographical resources:

--Wilson, E. Jan., The Old Syriac Gospels: Studies and Comparative Translations, Gorgias Pr., 2003 (2002).
--Smith, R. Payne, A Compendious Syriac Dictionary, Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, In., 1998.
--Robinson, Theodore H., Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar, Oxford University Pr., London, U.K., 1954 (1915).
--Stevenson, Wm. B., Grammar of Palestinian Jewish Aramaic, Oxford Pr., London, U.K., 1962 (1924).
--Sokoloff, Michael, A Dictionary of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic of the Byzantine Period, Bar Ilan Pr., 1992 (1990).
--Thackston, W.M., Introduction to Syriac, Ibex Publishers, Bethesda, Md., 1999.
--Black, Matthew, An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts, Hendrickson Publishers, 1967 (1946).
--Jastrow, Marcus, A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature, Pardes Publishing, New York, 1950 (1903).

Also, I would highly recommend that the scholar who has access to Internet-- which would include anyone who can bring up this web-log, to make full use of The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon, http://cal1.cn.huc.edu--- a fabulous tool for all sorts of Aramaic scholarship for students at every learning level.
But in no wise regard me as an expert. I am down here in Louisville, hundreds of miles from an Aramaic tutor, trying to learn by the ready method of translation-then-comparing-my-translation-with-a-standard-translation. Hunt and peck. Making lots of mistakes. This will show. Those with expertise can 'comment'-- this is welcomed-- and they can snicker-in-print if they wish!
Yet I hope I am off to a good start. Help me, Aramaic/Hebrew/Koine-Greek scholars, should I err!