Vowel hiatus resolution in Koine Greek

Abstract

The spellings -ις, -ιν instead of -ιος, -ιον are a characteristic feature of Koine Greek. The circumstances in which they arose have constituted a vexed question. Their presence in Egyptian Greek documentary papyri from III BC to VIII AD stands out. Nowadays it is possible, thanks to new digital tools, to access all the regularized spellings in modern editions. Analysis and typological comparison allow us to rethink the hypotheses put forward in previous studies. In particular, it is useful not to study these spellings independently of the spellings -oῦ, -ῶ(ι) instead of -ίου, -ίω(ι). The graphic omission of ⟨o⟩ in some forms and of ⟨ι⟩ in others reflects different results of a vowel hiatus resolution process in sequences of increasing sonority [i.V(C)]. This process is gradient and different allophones could be represented by the same spelling. Of the possible factors for the omission of ⟨o⟩ or ⟨ι⟩, the word accent distribution is the basic cause determining the final form. However, as usually happens in processes of vowel hiatus resolution in other languages, other internal or external factors may also have influenced the results. Due to this gradience in the process and the distinction of glides of different types, the effect of V1 (converted into a glide) on the previous consonant could be different from what has been documented in [Cj] groups in other stages of Greek.