Description
The braille code for Ancient Greek (including Classical and Koine) differs from the one used in Greece for modern Greek. For this reason, it is often referred to as the “International Greek Braille Code.” The code exists in two variants, a composed and a decomposed system for representing accented vowels. Both systems are described below.
Tables
Use the following tables for each screen reader or translator:
JAWS
- Composed: Not yet supported
- Decomposed: Greek (Internationalized for English)
NVDA
- Composed: Greek International Braille (Single-cell accented letters)
- Decomposed: Greek International Braille (Two-cell accented letters)
VoiceOver (Mac OS and iOS)
- Composed: Not yet supported
- Decomposed: Ancient Greek > Greek (Internationalized for English)
LibLouis
- Composed: grc-international-en-composed.utb
- Decomposed: grc-international-en.utb
Duxbury: Biblical Original Language Studies module
Code
Letters
⠁ α alpha (dot 1)
⠃ β beta (dots 12)
⠛ γ gamma (dots 1245)
⠙ δ delta (dots 145)
⠑ ε epsilon (dots 15)
⠵ ζ zeta (dots 1356)
⠱ η eta (dots 156)
⠹ θ theta (dots 1456)
⠊ ι iota (dots 24)
⠅ κ kappa (dots 13)
⠇ λ lambda (dots 123)
⠍ μ mu (dots 134)
⠝ ν nu (dots 1345)
⠭ ξ xi (dots 1346)
⠕ ο omicron (dots 135)
⠏ π pi (dots 1234)
⠗ ρ rho (dots 1235)
⠎ σ sigma, initial & medial (dots 234)
⠎ ς sigma, terminal (dots 234)
⠞ τ tau (dots 2345)
⠥ υ upsilon (dots 136)
⠋ φ phi (dots 124)
⠯ χ chi (dots 12346)
⠽ ψ psi (dots 13456)
⠺ ω omega (dots 2456)
Archaic Letters
⠧ ϝ digamma (dots 1236)
⠟ ϟ koppa (dots 12345)
⠮ ϡ sampi (dots 2346)
Decomposed Accent System
In the decomposed accent system, accents are indicated by a modifier cell preceding the normal braille cell for a given vowel.
⠈ Acute/Oxia (dot 4)
– Ex. ά ⠈⠁, έ ⠈⠑
⠐ Circumflex/Perispomeni (dot 5)
– Ex. ᾶ ⠐⠁, ῆ ⠐⠱
⠠ Grave/Varia (dot 6)
– Ex. ὰ ⠠⠁, ὲ ⠠⠑
Composed Accent System
In the composed system, accented vowels are given their own single-cell dot pattern.
Vowels with Acute Accent (Oxia)
⠜ ά alpha (dots 345)
⠫ έ epsilon (dots 1246)
⠿ ή eta (dots 123456)
⠻ ί iota (dots 12456)
⠪ ό omicron (dots 246)
⠳ ύ upsilon (dots 1256)
⠚ ώ omega (dots 245)
Vowels with Circumflex (Perispomeni)
⠡ ᾶ / ᾶ alpha (dots 16)
⠣ ῆ / ῆ eta (dots 126)
⠩ ῖ / ῖ iota (dots 146)
⠧⠼ ῦ / ῦ upsilon (dots 1236)
⠼ ῶ / ῶ omega (dots 3456)
(`) Vowels with Grave (Varia)
⠷ ὰ alpha (dots 12356)
⠉ ὲ epsilon (dots 14)
⠮ ὴ eta (dots 2346)
⠌ ὶ iota (dots 34)
⠬ ὸ omicron (dots 346)
⠾ ὺ upsilon (dots 23456)
⠟ ὼ omega (dots 12345)
Other Special Signs
⠄ ’ elision (dot 3)
⠔ ͺ iota subscriptum (dots 35)
⠆ Greek question mark (dots 23)
⠸ ˉ long vowel (macron) (dots 456)
⠘ ˘ short vowel (breve) (dots 45)
⠓ ῾ spiritus asper (rough breathing)* (dots 125)
⠴ ᾿ spiritus lenis (smooth breathing) (dots 356)
⠌ ′ chief stress sign (dots 34)
⠡ ′ secondary stress sign (dots 16)
* The rough breathing sign precedes vowels and accents but follows the letter rho in braille.
Latin Characters
Representation of Latin characters accords with uncontracted Unified English Braille (UEB).
Sources
“Greek (International).” in World Braille Usage, 3rd Edition. 185.
From Internationale griechische Blindenschrift, 1939.