# Pronounciation tips



## Ryan (Feb 18, 2004)

Ok, so far here is what I have with Latin.

V always sounds like W in Latin. Although tempting to sound it as we do in English, that is not correct.

More to come, Already have learned many more but want to give it one at a time as my memory...um sucks.

Ryan


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## edwardsatc (Feb 17, 2004)

Ryan, here are some additional tips on Latin for you....

http://www.saltspring.com/capewest/pron.htm#rules


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## Ryan (Feb 18, 2004)

I already dont like that site, as i saw it say to pronounce Caesar as Seesar,when ALL C's in latin sound like english K. the teacher I am learning from is a Camridge Latin teacher. She is very good at her profession, and goes to camridge and works with many teachers that are college proffesors, travels to rome anually and learns about the background of latin. Although its acool site, it doesnt seem to have all the correct information.

Ryan


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2005)

> V always sounds like W in Latin. Although tempting to sound it as we do in English, that is not correct


Always is a strong word. This is a relitively recent change. I had a latin teacher who was the head of the classics department at the University of Illinois; she was an unbelieaveable teacher but very firm in her latin grammer rules and insisted on pronoucing it V. That said the student teachers insisted on using W. The point is, it depends on who you are talking to.


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

Words and pronunciations evolve over time, and not all retain the original sounds after being borrowed by different languages. In medical terminology, one would never hear "kesarean" section, always cesarean (si-zar'-iun) section and Caesar is (see'-zer) in all English history and literature, although the the Old German adaptation of it is Kaiser. German's also pronounce V's as W's (and vis'versa), but we don't do that in English unless we're showing off and being a bit phoney by referring to our new "Wolksvagen." I don't think anyone, even the most dedicated word masters actually know how early Latin was pronounced, and can only guess by noting different consonant changes that seem to evolve rather predictably in writing and spelling. No one had any audio recordings. 

I once took a course in phonemics and phonetics, and believe me, after a semester of tracing the different changes in consonant sounds in both the Indo European languages over years and as words borrowed from one language to another, I'm content now to just look it up in the dictionary or lexicon. What is correct is what is generally used by the language you are speaking. There is usually closer agreement in scientific, medical and botanical-zoological terminology, but even so, it varies. A German would probably say Phyllobates vittatus with a W sound, but an American or British person would use the V sound. Even scientific terminology is subject to the pronunciation of our native languages. 

For some fun, consult Charles Harrington Elster's books on beastly mispronunciations. Among these is The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations, Is There a Cow in Moscow?, and There is no Zoo in Zoology."  If nothing else, they are fun to read.


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2005)

What a cool post.
I really liked the whole how to pronounce Caesar (since its my name) and how to pronounce V. I thought that germans were known for pronouncing w's like V's, not the other way around. So now Im confused. 

So how do you pronounce zoology?

And I assume that Moscow is pronounced Moscoo.

Also it really eirks me everytime I see my name spelled Ceasar. Just like they spell Michael Micheal. :twisted: Anyway, I guess some people like to spell it wrong even when it is their name.


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## elmoisfive (Dec 31, 2004)

Actually Moscow is pronounced as "Moskva" since the real name of the Russian capital is Москва́

:wink: 

Bill


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

Depends upon where you are. Moscow, Idaho is invariably pronounced "Moss'-cow." 

This is similar to Genoa, Nevada, which is pronounced "Jen-O' ah -( j sound, not a hard G) with the accent upon the O. In Italy, it is pronounced Jen'-oah. I had a political science professor, rather new to Nevada correct my pronunciation of this tiny town I grew up next to, telling me that "when in Rome-- do as the Romans do." I reminded him he was in Nevada, not Rome, and in Nevada, it is "Jen-O' ah," and always will be. We had great fun with this. 

A Scottish friend of mine who visited me was shocked to discover that Mackay, Idaho was invariably pronounced Mack'ee, not Mc Kay.' The same Scottsman by that name who is also responsible for the Mackay School of mines in Nevada, named for him, left the same pronunciation with them. My friend told me, "but this is not correct!" All I could tell him was that it was probably at least two centuries too late for him to correct it. Both Nevada and Idaho repronounced his name from the original pronunciation of his Scottish name: "Mc Kay'." He may have even done this himself by integration with miners and other hoy paloy of the day. Fun stuff, but not ultimately all that important as long as people can communicate.


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## RSines (Feb 15, 2004)

I do love this topic. 

Zoology would be pronounced zo·ol·o·gy. Think ZO ology. 


A story...
Traditionally, my family and I spend a large part of the summer in Charleston SC. We go to an old plantation which was divided up into different home sites over the last 100 years. The name of the plantation is Vanderhorst. Now, I always grew up calling it Vander Horse t. Think like the boxer Evander, then horse (animal) and t. EVERYONE used this way of saying it until recently. About 5 years ago many of the homes on the little island were redone and a new owner bought the actual Vanderhorst farm house, spent 5 million fixing it up and changed its name to Vander HAUS. A snobbier way of saying it imo. Think the boxer again, but the ended HAUS. Sorta a German sounding way to call someone a big guy. "Man, what a HAUS, he just ate a whole box of cereal" 

Now, a couple of years ago, the resort down there wanted to up the real estate prices and started pronoucing it... VAN-DROSS. Put a very hoity-toity accent along with saying this word. 

In the end, I guess it doesn't matter. The locals say Vander Horse t, the owner says VANDER HAUS, the vacationers say VAN DROSS and I say, who cares. Sorta funny how things change so rapidly. 

Sorta makes me wonder what happened to Charles TOWN. Maybe I'll start the trend...

-R


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2005)

> the teacher I am learning from is a Camridge Latin teacher. She is very good at her profession, and goes to camridge and works with many teachers that are college proffesors...


You mean Cam*b*ridge?


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

RSines-- That's a great story. We do like to "hoity-toity" up our language--especially for real estate values and appearing to live at an impressive address. (Hyacynth Buckett pronounced her surname "Bew-KAY." in "Keeping up Appearances." the British Sitcom.) 

More on Moscow: Moskva is pronounced muhsk-VAH or mahsk-VAH in Russian. Moscow is an "exonym-" or a place name that foreigners use instead of the name that the natives use: Cologne for Koln (with an umlaut over the o) Florence for Firenze, Morocco for Maroc, Sweden for Sverige (SVER-yuh), Rome for Roma, etc. But if you asked a native Idahoan the way to Moskva, you'd probably end up 300 miles south at Mud Lake.


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## StevenBonheim (Feb 22, 2004)

In German, W's are pronounced like the English V... V's are pronounced closer to the English F with a hint of an English V.
If you were trying to pronounce Volkswagen with a German accent, it would be something like "FolksVagen." By switching the V to an F you can see what the name actually means. " The Folk's Wagon"


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2005)

Folks Wagen?? Does that mean car of the people?????????/


OMG I Think I just got that name!!!!!!!!!!!!
You hear it all your life but you never realize what it means. HAHAHA.


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## Ridge (Jun 7, 2004)

Ever since high school German I have used the sexy German pronounciation for the VW - Fow-Vay

I refuse to go with the now popular and preppy "Yag - U - R" pronounciation of Jaguar though!!!!


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

Besides, it sounds so much better if you drive a "Jag" rather than a "Yag."
In Spanish would it be a "Hag?" 

Arkansas is another weird one. The state is pronounced AR-kinsaw, but the Arkansas River is ar-KAN-sas, like the state of Kansas.


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2005)

Yes in spanish it is pronounced Haguar. But spelled with a J.


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