Why were the pronunciation of ae and oe special cases in Classical Latin?

1. How was OE pronounced in Classical Latin?
2. How do you say OE vs AE in Latin?
3. What is AE in Classical Latin?
4. When did Latin pronunciation change?

How was OE pronounced in Classical Latin?

ae and oe are pronounced like e: saeculum (seh-koo-loom). au and eu are treated as single syllables, but each vowel is pronounced distinctly. In singing, the first vowel is sustained, as in other combinations of two vowels: lauda (lah-oo-dah).

How do you say OE vs AE in Latin?

In Latin and English, oe and ae are pronounced as a single sound (which sound is another matter, and can vary from case to case), rather than as two vowel syllables or as diphthongs, i.e. a combined vowel sound.

What is AE in Classical Latin?

In Classical Latin, the combination AE denotes the diphthong [ae̯], which had a value similar to the long i in fine as pronounced in most dialects of Modern English.

When did Latin pronunciation change?

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.