Expert: Maria - 11/12/2008

Question
What if the meaning and pronunciation of "erre es korakas"?

Answer
Hello,

the literal meaning of the ancient Greek phrase ”Erre es kórakas” (Latin transliteration of “έρρε  ες  κόρακας“ in Greek letters) we read also in Aristophanes “Plutus”,line 604, is the following:

-“Go to  the ravens/ crows!” which is the equivalent of “Go to  hell!” / “Go to ruin!”/ "Go to hang".

In short it is a popular ancient Greek curse as both ravens and crows were associated with death just because of their carrion-eating reputation.

As for the pronunciation of ”Erre es korakas”, see below please.


Best regards,
Maria
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Note that:

-Erre / έρρε (2nd.person singular, imperative of the verb “errô “) = Go

-es / ες (preposition wich takes the accusative) = to

-korakas / κόρακας (accusative plural of “korax”) = the ravens/ crows, that is “hell”/ “ruin”/”hang” .
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PRONUNCIATION

-You must pronounce “err” like the syllable “err” in “Error” with the same stress on the E;

-Pronounce the last “e” of “erre” as well as the first “e” of “es” like the E in “Error” ;

-Pronounce the “s” in “es” like the S in “sound”;

-Finally you must pronounce “kórakas” like the syllable  “cor” in “core” with the same accent on the O,  followed by the syllable “acc” as  in the word “accusative”,  and the syllable “as” like the “as” in the verb  “astonish”.
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-Aristophanes (ca. 448 BC- ca.380 BC)was a  great Greek playwright, known as the Father of Comedy.

-Latin transliteration is nothing but  the ancient Greek text written in Latin alphabet we use still today.