Beltrano’s Parlour: The English Pronunciation of Latin (Part One)
This is a keynote which I corner up perennially appealing, and an individual to which I’ve ardent much investigation and reading. The picturization is of Richard Bentley (1662-1742), arguably the greatest authoritative undergraduate of all interval. The speech pattern pattern of Latin discussed here was explicitly hardened sooner than Bentley.
It remained in urgency until primitively 1900, when it gave scheme to the styled “Reformed” or “Scientific” speech pattern pattern of Latin. Latin is not a curious terms to us; it contains no sounds that are not foot easy to us as English speakers. There are some things that vex me so much as to learn someone forth Gradus ad Parnassum as “GRAH-doos unsurpassed par-NAHS-oom.” What a sordid posturing! predominantly The scheme to express it, of in adjust with on it, is “GRADE-us augment par-NASS-um,” with a gentlemanly hard Chicago-style “ASS” in the bread basket of it. In to be unwavering the proper English speech pattern pattern of Latin restful exists, an unbroken praxis that is restful exemplified in the bear speech pattern pattern of lawful, medical, and well-organized terms.
Reflect in the behalf of a two shakes of a lamb’s rear end, and you inclination fulfil that you already certain the bear speech pattern pattern of dozens of Latin phrases: habeas corpus, e pluribus unum, biceps, gluteus maximus, et cetera. For draw the fangs of clarification, I inclination be representing the vowels as follows:? = A as in fatey = A as in fatee = E as in petiy = E as in Petei = I as in pinay = I as in pineo = O as in notow = O as in noteu = U as in cutuw = U as in rudeyuw = U as in cuteau = AU as in caughtoy = OY as in boyar = AR as in carer = ER as in errorir = IR as in mirroror = OR as in moreur = UR as in lureY = (reduced vowel) A as in ubiquitously, E as in ovenYr = like basic syllable in haler, errorI inclination note known stressed syllables sooner than using ace letters. Here I inclination appraisal the attachments speech pattern pattern of the Latin words and phrases contained in our essential three postings. In cases where there are syllables with inferior spotlight, I inclination note known the parade spotlight in bright. Here are the essential two examples:Incipiunt Beltrani Sententiae [in-SIP-iy-Ynt predominantly bel-TREY-nay predominantly sen-TEN-shiyiy] Sol et Luna chore Deum, omnium viventium vita sunt.
The most landed given of Latin speech pattern pattern is Quantity. [sol predominantly et predominantly LUW-nY predominantly powst predominantly DIY-Ym predominantly OM-niy-Ym predominantly vay-VEN-shiy-Ym predominantly VAY-tY predominantly sunt] And fashionable a some comments:1. Quantity determines which syllable receives the spotlight. Two-syllable words (luna, deum, vita) are without departure stressed on the essential syllable. If the penult has a urge vowel (which inclination be indicated in any Latin dictionary), it receives the spotlight and the vowel is marked urge (like Beltrani, which has a urge A in the penult). For words of three syllables, the spotlight depends on the grand absolute of the penultimate syllable. If the penult is a closed syllable (vowel followed sooner than two consonants), it is also stressed, as in the consultation ascendens [Y-SEN-dYnz].
However, in any closed syllable, the vowel have to be marked laconic. 2. Since words of all three of these types spotlight the penultimate syllable, they are known as paroxytones. If the vowel of the penult is neither urge sooner than grand absolute (Beltrani) nor urge sooner than feeling (ascendens), the spotlight then falls rearwards to the antepenult, which is ginormous marked with a laconic vowel. Our words incipiunt and sententiae are examples of this. Such are the rules of Quantity.
In both cases, the I in the penultimate syllable is laconic, so the spotlight falls rearwards to the antepenult. 3. In the words incipiunt, sententiae, omnium, and viventium, we be subjected to examples of hiatus (two vowels together). 4. When they compatible with in toward another vowel, both I and E are ginormous marked as [iy]. Final vowels (except closing A) are without departure marked urge.
Thus, Beltrani is marked [bel-TREY-nay], not [bel-TREY-niy]. 5. The ending -AE is without departure marked as [iy], not underwater any condition as [ey] or [ay]; so in the ending of the consultation sententiae, we learn the unchanged percipient twice: [iy-iy]. Before a vowel, TI is ginormous marked [shiy], at best as we commonly do in English with words like “nation.” Thus, sententiae is marked [sen-TEN-shiy-iy], not [sen-TEN-tiy-iy], and viventium is marked [vay-VEN-shiy-Ym], not [vay-VEN-tiy-Ym]. 6. Likewise, sunt rhymes with “hunt,” and et rhymes with “get.”7.
The consultation sol is marked to logic with “doll.” Monosyllables ending with gentle an individual consonant are considered closed syllables, and have to be marked with a laconic vowel [sol], not [sowl]. Unstressed closing A is without departure reduced to [Y], as in luna and vita. 8. This is proper whether it stands unequalled or whether it is a prefix (e.g.
Although it is a closed monosyllable, the consultation chore is traditionally marked with a urge vowel (rhymes with “ghost”). postquam). 9. When two vowels compatible with together in this scheme, the essential an individual is without departure marked urge (the English words “chaos,” “neon,” “diet,” “coed,” and “dual” demonstrate this unchanged principle). In the consultation deum, we be subjected to a gentle eg of hiatus.
10. A rare be in control applies to the consultation viventium. Familiar examples classify “Tiberius,” “gigantic,” “libation,” “psychology,” “titanium,” “rhinocerus,” and “citation.” The consultation hiatus itself is another eg [hay-EY-tYs]. If the essential syllable of a consultation contains an unbosom I or Y (followed sooner than particular an individual consonant, or sooner than another vowel), and the following syllable is stressed, then the I or Y is marked urge [vay-VEN-shiy-Ym], not [vi-VEN-shiy-Ym]. By comparison, in a consultation like “hysterical,” the Y is in a closed syllable (followed sooner than two consonants), so it is marked [his-TER-i-kYl], not [hay-STER-i-kYl]. Here are the Latin phrases develop in our subscribe to and third postings:Liber Revolutionum [LAY-bYr predominantly REV-Y-LUW-shiy-OW-nYm]Flores astronomiae.
In the consultation revolutionum, we be subjected to a gentle eg of Secondary Stress. [FLOR-iyz predominantly ?S-trY-NOW-miy-iy]Stephanus Messanensis [STEF-Yn-Ys predominantly MES-Y-NEN-sYs]Centiloquium Hermetis [SEN-tY-LOW-kwiy-Ym predominantly hYr-MIY-tYs]luminare majus [LUW-mY-NER-iy predominantly MEY-jYs]luminare minus [LUW-mY-NER-iy predominantly MAY-nYs]ergo [YR-gow]Astrologia restaurata [?S-trY-LOW-jiy-Y predominantly RES-tY-REY-tY] triangulum alatum [tray-?NG-gyuw-lYm predominantly Y-LEY-tYm]vates & astrologus predominantly [VEY-tiyz predominantly et predominantly ?s-TRO-lY-gYs]Some observations:11. The penult has a urge O, so the parade spotlight falls on that syllable.
However, mixed words of four syllables (and all words of five syllables or more) also be subjected to a inferior spotlight. In this circumstance, we dismiss -onum, which leaves us with revoluti-. To corner up it, we essential dismiss the stressed syllable and all that follows it, then analyze what remains. We then consider this torso as if it were itself a consultation. Consulting the repository, we corner up that the U is urge. Since revolutionum is a urge consultation (six syllables), we have to repetition this wont to corner up advance inferior stresses.
If revoluti- were a Latin consultation, we would as a result spotlight the U, which would be marked urge: [re-vY-LUW-shiy]. So we dismiss -luti, leaving us with revo-. If revo- were a free-standing consultation, it would of in adjust with on it meet with the spotlight on its essential syllable.
Many Latin words subtract in this stencil, with inferior stresses falling on alternate syllables. The effect of this is that there are two syllables with inferior spotlight, in adding to the parade spotlight on the penult: [RE-vY-LUW-shiy-OW-nYm]. Vowels in syllables with inferior spotlight are without departure laconic, unless modified sooner than hiatus. Thus, in the baksheesh circumstance, RE is laconic. This applies to all vowels, with the departure of I and Y.
However, LU is urge because it is succeeded sooner than an individual consonant + two vowels (hiatus). That is why we forth a urge A in alias, but a laconic I in video (in both cases the stressed vowel is succeeded sooner than an individual consonant + two vowels). Our consultation incipiunt illustrates this unchanged given. 12. The words astronomiae and centiloquium prepare for advance examples of both hiatus and inferior spotlight (truncation of the make headway yields astro-, centi-, so inferior spotlight falls on the essential syllable). The -ES plural ending is without departure marked [iyz]. So flores rhymes with “stories,” while vates (almost) rhymes with “Hades.”13.
In to be unwavering, in whatever scheme, the A is laconic so the consultation have to be marked [STE-fY-nYs]. Without looking at the repository, an individual influence be tempted to forth Stephanus as [stY-FEY-nYs]. This is a ageless eg of “false grand absolute,” the fabled sham of Latin speech pattern pattern.
The Duke of Wellington was distinguished in the behalf of errors of this sort. In to be unwavering, they are marked [KER-Y-lYs] and [jY-KOW-bYs]. He mixed a interval mispronounced Carolus and Jacobus (the Latin equivalents “Charles” and “James”) as [kY-ROW-lYs] and [J?-kY-bYs]. 14. Just as in English, C is marked as [s] when followed sooner than the vowels E, I, or Y. Centiloqium and Astrologia are examples of this.
Likewise, G is marked as [j] in toward E, I, or Y. 15. Final E is not underwater any condition conceded.
So luminare rhymes with “Mary.”16. It is without departure marked as [iy], not underwater any condition as [ey]. In a slews of returned words, I between two vowels is marked (and many times written) as [j]. Our consultation majus is an eg of this.
This be in control applies regardless of the spelling (i.e. Other examples classify ejus, pejus, cujus, and hujus. gentle when they are spelled maius, eius, peius, cuius, huius). So the be in control of Wheaton College (Christo et regno ejus) is marked [KRIS-tow et REG-now IY-jYs]. Unstressed AU has a affinity to grind to [Y], as in restaurata and Augustus. 17. 18.
The consultation triangulum is another gentle example of hiatus. 10), since the following vowel is stressed. The I is marked urge [ay] in the behalf of the unchanged acceptable as the essential syllable of viventium (comment no.
19. The consultation triangulum illustrates another landed given: in an unbosom syllable (succeeded sooner than particular an individual consonant), U is marked as [yuw]. However, this be in control does not administer if U is preceded sooner than J, L, or R. Another eg is unum [YUW-nYm].
In such cases, the unbosom U is fully marked as [uw].