Expertlatin
- What is the history of Latin pronunciation?
- How did ancient Romans pronounce V?
- What is Intervocalic S in Latin?
- What are the 2 pronunciations of Latin?
What is the history of Latin pronunciation?
The pronunciation of the ancient Romans, called the classical pronunciation, was modified by Christians in the Middle Ages, when Latin became the language of the church and of the educated class. You may see this pronunciation referred to by a number of names: ecclesiastical, medieval, Church, Christian, or Italian.
How did ancient Romans pronounce V?
According to a consensus of Latin scholars, the letter V in ancient Latin was pronounced as [w]. This seems to make sense, because there was no distinguishing between V and U, so the letter V could mark either the vowel [u] or its semivocalic counterpart [w] (much like with the letter I).
What is Intervocalic S in Latin?
Single intervocalic /s/ in Classical Latin usually derives from an earlier double /ss/ after a long vowel or diphthong, as in causa, cāsus from earlier caussa, cāssus; or is found in loanwords, such as pausa from Greek παῦσις (pausis).
What are the 2 pronunciations of Latin?
There are two main ways to pronounce Latin. The first is the classical pronunciation, an approximation of what Latin would have sounded like in Ancient Rome. This post is a guide to Classical Latin pronunciation. The second way is the ecclesiastical pronunciation (or “Church Latin”).
