Latin Name Pronunciation

[john m roberts]

The important thing to remember is that these people have been dead for a long time, and they can't sue you.

[M. Demetrius]

:lol: :wink:

[bellatrix]

Yes, I'm glad they can't sue me because with my limited knowledge of Latin pronunciation, I'd have to keep a lawyer on retainer for life! :lol:

[Nathan Ross]

i would pronounce Legionarius with the G sounding as in: Good. Lay Geeo Narioos

Although I suppose to be completely accurate we should instead pronounce it MEE-les :wink:

There's a thread here with more about pronunciation (catapracti, anyone?), including some interesting stuff about regional dialects:

LATIN

I remember reading somewhere that, back in the 17th-18th century when the university-educated elites of Europe used latin as a common means of communication, particular national styles of pronunciation would often render the spoken language nearly incomprehensible to those of other nations. In particular, the latin taught in British universities was widely held to be barbarically corrupt! Quite possibly the same sort of problem might have prevailed in the ancient world too... as with English today. Was it a myth that the film 'Trainspotting' had to be subtitled for the American market?

- Nathan

[bellatrix]

Was it a myth that the film 'Trainspotting' had to be subtitled for the American market?

I think it's a myth. I heard the producers considered subtitling it but then they ended up not doing it.

[john m roberts]

On the other hand, a recent television documentary on poverty in the southern Appalachians was subtitled when the locals spoke.

[Dithrambus]

On the other hand, a recent television documentary on poverty in the southern Appalachians was subtitled when the locals spoke.

I could not imagine why, we understand each other just fine.

Ya'll come back now, ya hear!

:lol: :wink:

[bellatrix]

On the other hand, a recent television documentary on poverty in the southern Appalachians was subtitled when the locals spoke.

I could not imagine why, we understand each other just fine.

Ya'll come back now, ya hear!

:lol: :wink:

Haha! I have relatives in Tennessee. I also lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a few years. I love the South and given a choice, I'd rather live there. Your comment made me think of another thing I've heard when I'm in the South: "Djeet yet?" (Did you eat yet?) "Yuont to?" (Do you want to?)

[M. Demetrius]

Hah! And "ah-ite" (all right) "aincha" (aren't you?) among a passel of others.

[Dithrambus]

Hah! And "ah-ite" (all right) "aincha" (aren't you?) among a passel of others.

And don't forget: Thaorta, as in: Thaorta fix that pothole!

OK, we are finished now, back to topic.

[Astiryu1]

How " 'yall" doing... :wink: ( 'yall =you all)

[Phaichtos]

I'm from the north... I don't feel like we have any things like that, but I'm sure we do

[M. Demetrius]

:?: :!: Yo. Youse guys got nuthin' like that?

[Phaichtos]

:?: :!: Yo. Youse guys got nuthin' like that?

Not far north enough :lol:

I find that most younger people up here just sort of talk with the standard "cable news" accent; if you want crazy incomprehensible people, you usually need to find someone born before the 60s :mrgreen:

[M. Demetrius]

Yep, that would be me. I've lost most of the regional from having worked in a phone center, where accents were discouraged.

But this thread really is about Latin, not US English. Does anyone know when the Latin hard C faded away, and the soft C replaced it? How about the CH sound for CI, CE in Italian? When did that start? French, Spanish, Portugese, and Italian all use the soft C. Could it be that the soft was used much earlier than commonly taught? Else how could the "Romance" languages universally use it?