RE: Latin Pronunciation

[Alvaro Aguilera<jaav@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The correct pronunciation of is :

vitis:  bee-tees

vitaceae : bee-ta-tche-aye



I have heard stories about an old botany professor at Cornell (long 
before my short lifetime) who was so scrupulous in his Latin 
pronunciation that his colleagues and students couldn't understand what 
he was saying much the time. When speaking of grapes, for example, he 
would say "wee-tis" (Vitis) and "wee-ta-kee-aye" (Vitaceae)instead of 
the common but incorrect "vy-tis" and "vy-tay-see-ee". 

-Philip Marshall