Re: Latin Pronunciation

[Jim Gillogly <jim@xxxxxxx>]

Alvaro Aguilera wrote:
> 
> 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".

For what it's worth, my Latin teacher (UCLA) said "wee-tees" was the
correct pronunciation for classical Latin.  A Dutch friend was taught
the same pronunciation in her classical Latin class.  Interestingly,
she and her husband were both good in Latin but couldn't understand
each other, since he was strong in church Latin (vee-tah-che-aye)
and she was nearly fluent in classical (wee-tah-kay-aye).

-- 
	Jim Gillogly
	Hevensday, 16 Solmath S.R. 2001, 01:27
	12.19.7.17.2, 8 Ik 5 Pax, Ninth Lord of Night