Quickstart

This keyboard mimics the modern Greek layout. Most Greek letters are in the same place as the equivalent English letters on an English (QWERTY) keyboard. For example, type <^vm'ega to get ὧμέγα.

As you can see, accents and breathing marks are typed before the vowel. They can be typed in any order. For example, ΰ is typed :'y or ':y.

When you type an accent or breathing mark followed by a space, you will get a standard keystroke instead of an accent. For example, typing / will give you / not ¯.

Though the basic accented letters in this keyboard are precomposed, it is possible to type with combining diacritics. To type with combining diacritics, type a letter first and then type an accent using AltGr or Ctrl+Alt. For example, to get ϊ with combining diacritics, type i[CA:.

Examples

Keyboard Details

Letters

The Greek Polytonic Unicode keyboard adds polytonic accents to a modern Greek layout. Most Greek letters are in the same place as the equivalent English letters on an English (QWERTY) keyboard.

Example: typing r produces ρ.

Example: typing m produces μ.

Some characters are in a different place and may need to be memorized.

Example: typing c produces ψ.

Example: typing u produces θ.

Final sigma (ς) is not automatic. It must be typed as an independent letter.

Example: typing w produces ς.

Example: typing shw produces σης.

Capital letters are typed using shift, as in English.

Example: typing [Sd] produces Δ.

Example: typing [Sv] produces Ω.

The keyboard also includes a selection of archaic Greek and Coptic letters, e.g. digamma (ϝ). These can be typed with AltGr or Ctrl+Alt combinations.

Example: typing [Aw] produces ϝ.

Example: typing [SAq] produces Ϙ.

Accents and Other Diacritics

The Greek Polytonic Unicode keyboard uses two different systems to handle accented characters:

• Precomposed letters
• Combining diacritics

Precomposed Letters

All of the basic accented characters can be typed with precomposed letters. Precomposed letters look like an accent+vowel, but they are actually a single symbol. When you delete a precomposed letter, you delete the entire letter, not just the accent.

Use the following keystrokes to type diacritics for precomposed letters.

Diacritics for Precomposed Letters
Character	Keystroke	English Name	Greek Name
῾	<	rough breathing	dasia
᾿	>	smooth breathing	psili
ι	[CAi	iota subscript	ypogegrammeni/ prosgegrammeni
¨	:	diaeresis	dialytika
`	`	grave accent	varia
´	'	acute accent (Classical Greek)	oxia
΄	;	acute accent (Modern Greek)	tonos
῀	^or ~	circumflex accent	perispomeni
̆	?	breve accent	vrachy
¯	/	macron	macron

All precomposed letters are typed with accents first (before the letter). Accents can be typed in any order, except iota subscript, which must come last. Iota subscript can be typed with AltGr or Ctrl+Alt.

Example: typing :'y or ':y produces ΰ.

Example: typing ~>[CAi]a or ^>[CAi]a or >~[CAi]a or >^[CAi]a produces ᾆ.

Vowels and the letter rho (ρ) can be typed as precomposed letters.

Example: typing `h produces ὴ.

Example: typing <R produces Ῥ.

Some combinations are not possible with precomposed letters, usually becuase they do not exist in Greek.

Example: you cannot type capital rho with smooth breathing.

Example: you cannot type capital omega with circumflex.

Combining Diacritics

Use of combining diacritics is not recommended. They make searching documents harder, and most fonts display Greek combining diacritics badly.

Accented characters can also be typed with combining diacritics. However, this keyboard includes an underdot which can only be typed using combing diacritics.

These vowel+accent combinations do not form a single symbol. When you delete a letter with a combining diacritical mark, you delete the diacritic first and then the letter.

Use the following keystrokes to type combining diacritics.

Combining Diacritics
Character	Keystroke	English Name	Greek Name
.	[CA.	combining underdot
῾	[CA<]	rough breathing	dasia
᾿	[CA>]	smooth breathing	psili
ι	[CAI	iota subscript	ypogegrammeni/ prosgegrammeni
¨	[CA:]	diaeresis	dialytika
`	[CA`	grave accent	varia
´	[CA'	acute accent	oxia or tonos
῀	[CA~		perispomeni
^	[CA^	circumflex accent
̆	[CA?	breve accent	vrachy
¯	[CA/	macron	macron

All combining diacritics are typed after the letter. They can be typed with AltGr or Ctrl+Alt. Accents will display differently based on the order in which they are typed. Typing breathing mark or diaeresis, then accent, then iota-subscript usually achieves the best result.

Example: typing i[CA:][CA'] produces ΐ.

Example: typing v[CA>][CA~][CAI] produces ᾧ.

Punctuation

Most punctuation on the Greek Polytonic Unicode keyboard is typed exactly as on the English (QWERTY) keyboard.

Example: typing . produces ..

Example: typing ( produces (.

The Greek semicolon (ano teleia) and the Greek question mark are the only exceptions

Example: typing Q produces ·.

Example: typing q produces ;.

See the Complete Typing Chart for full details on how to type all the letters, diacritics, and punctuation of the Greek Polytonic Unicode keyboard.

Related Keyboard Layouts

Other Classical and Polytonic Greek keyboard layouts:

Greek Keyboards Home

Non-classical and Monotonic Greek keyboard layouts:

Greek Basic
Greek (220) Basic
Greek (319) Basic

Other Internet Resources

Download the Greek Polytonic Unicode Keyboard for Keyman Desktop

More on the Greek Writing System at Omniglot.com
More on the Greek Writing System at Wikipedia.org

More on the Greek Language at Wikipedia.org