Expertlatin
x is pronounced ks: ex (ehks). xc before e, i, y, ae, oe is pronounced ksh: excelsis (ehk-shehl-sees).
- What is X in Latin?
- How was z pronounced in Latin?
- Why is X pronounced like AZ?
- How was the Latin Y pronounced?
What is X in Latin?
In Latin, ⟨x⟩ stood for [ks]. In some languages, as a result of assorted phonetic changes, handwriting adaptations or simply spelling convention, ⟨x⟩ has other pronunciations: In Basque, ⟨x⟩ represents [ʃ]. Additionally there is the digraph ⟨tx⟩ [tʃ].
How was z pronounced in Latin?
z is pronounced as though it were dz (as in English adze). th, ph, and ch, sounds which Latin borrowed from Greek, were probably pronounced as strong t, strong p, and guttural c, but it is acceptable to pronounce them as modern English th, ph, and k, respectively.
Why is X pronounced like AZ?
This is X at the beginning of a word. At the end of a word, it can also be a Z sound. These are words that we've borrowed from French. The combination EAUX and we may keep the French spelling with the X at the end but we use the American pronunciation.
How was the Latin Y pronounced?
Because [y] was not a native sound of Latin, Latin speakers had trouble pronouncing it, and it was usually pronounced /i/.
