Why does Ecclesiastical Latin pronounce au as written?

1. How is au pronounced in Latin?
2. How is Ecclesiastical Latin pronounced?
3. Is au a diphthong in Latin?
4. Why is V pronounced W in Latin?

How is au pronounced in Latin?

Latin Diphthongs

The first vowel sound in "Caesar," ae is a diphthong pronounced like "eye"; au, a diphthong pronounced like the exclamation "Ow!"; oe, a diphthong pronounced like the English diphthong oi, as in "hoity-toity".

How is Ecclesiastical Latin pronounced?

The consonants b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, and v are pronounced as in English. c before e, i, y, ae, oe is pronounced ch: coelo (cheh-loh); in all other cases, c is pronounced k: cantus (kahn-toos). cc before e, i, y, ae, oe is pronounced tch: ecce (eht-cheh).

Is au a diphthong in Latin?

The most common Latin diphthongs are ae, oe, and au.) Unlike English, which has silent letters, in Latin each consonant, vowel and diphthong is pronounced separately.

Why is V pronounced W in Latin?

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).