Expertlatin
- Is there a correct way to pronounce Latin?
- How do we know Latin pronunciation?
- What was the original Latin alphabet?
- Do we know what ancient Latin sounded like?
Is there a correct way to pronounce 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”).
How do we know Latin pronunciation?
Knowledge of how Latin was pronounced comes from Roman grammar books, common misspellings by Romans, transcriptions into other ancient languages, and from how pronunciation has evolved in derived Romance languages.
What was the original Latin alphabet?
In its archaic version, the Latin alphabet had 20 letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, V, X. Whereas in its classical writing, after the 3rd century, it had 23: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, V, X, Y, Z.
Do we know what ancient Latin sounded like?
How do we know what Latin sounded like? Although we can never be completely sure of exactly how the Romans pronounced their language, there are a number of sources of evidence: The ancient grammarians who wrote descriptions of the language. Inscriptions giving alternative spellings of words.
