Pronounciation help

[Lost_Warrior]

I just received a beautiful hardbound copy of Virgil's Aeneid, and I was wondering, how that title is pronounced? I really feel like an idiot whenever I try to say it, because it comes out "Aay-nEEd"...um...yea... Help?

[Nephele]

Here's a link to the Encarta online encyclopedia where you can hear a pronunciation of the name "Aeneas" (click on the audio icon). Replace the "as" with "id", and you'll have "Aeneid" (ih-NEE-id).

 

-- Nephele

[Traianus]

I thought the diptong AE (the "a" of "hat" and the "e" of "depth", for example )was read just as it sounds, not as an Aay (i'm thinking in spanish pronunciation), and the "nei" i think is read like it sounds, NEI, not as nee(i actually don't know how to put it for english to undersantd what I'm try to say, maybe , nhey, as when you say hey

[Nephele]

I thought the diptong AE (the "a" of "hat" and the "e" of "depth", for example )was read just as it sounds, not as an Aay (i'm thinking in spanish pronunciation), and the "nei" i think is read like it sounds, NEI, not as nee(i actually don't know how to put it for english to undersantd what I'm try to say, maybe , nhey, as when you say hey

Edited May 29, 2007 by Nephele

[Lost_Warrior]

Caesar was pronounced Kah-HEE-Szah if memory serves correctly.

 

"aedile"- I must be the odd one out. I say "ay-DEAL"

[Julius Ratus]

IIRC, in Latin 'AE' was pronounced 'AI'. Caesar was pronounced Kaisar, like in German, based on the Greek spellings of his name. Aeneid would be pronounced, Ai neh id, with the stress on the 'NE'.

[Andrew Dalby]

IIRC, in Latin 'AE' was pronounced 'AI'. Caesar was pronounced Kaisar, like in German, based on the Greek spellings of his name. Aeneid would be pronounced, Ai neh id, with the stress on the 'NE'.

 

You're right, JR. But unless your friends are all ancient Romans, you might not want to use an ancient Roman pronunciation when dropping the Aeneid into general conversation ...

 

The traditional pronunciation in English (at least in Britain), the one you'll still hear most when Latinists get together for meetings or in pubs and talk shop, is ee-NEE-id.

 

Traditional pronunciations are not what they were, but if you pronounce it firmly like that and look confident, no one will argue.

[docoflove1974]

You're right, JR. But unless your friends are all ancient Romans, you might not want to use an ancient Roman pronunciation when dropping the Aeneid into general conversation ...

 

The traditional pronunciation in English (at least in Britain), the one you'll still hear most when Latinists get together for meetings or in pubs and talk shop, is ee-NEE-id.

 

Traditional pronunciations are not what they were, but if you pronounce it firmly like that and look confident, no one will argue.

 

The classicists that I've been around (mostly at U.Texas, but some at U.Ca.Davis, too) all say uh-NEE-id...including when I took a Proto-Indo-European class, when my professor (Mark Southern...a jolly good English lad if ever there was one) would take examples of words from classic literature!

 

As for traditional pronunciations...I still get funny looks when I sing "Adeste fideles" with the 'traditional' pronunciation, especially in church. I guess these Catholics forgot the time when Latin was still said (and sung) in church...that, or they were all taught wrong!

Edited May 30, 2007 by docoflove1974

[Andrew Dalby]

You're right, JR. But unless your friends are all ancient Romans, you might not want to use an ancient Roman pronunciation when dropping the Aeneid into general conversation ...

 

The traditional pronunciation in English (at least in Britain), the one you'll still hear most when Latinists get together for meetings or in pubs and talk shop, is ee-NEE-id.

 

Traditional pronunciations are not what they were, but if you pronounce it firmly like that and look confident, no one will argue.

 

The classicists that I've been around (mostly at U.Texas, but some at U.Ca.Davis, too) all say uh-NEE-id...including when I took a Proto-Indo-European class, when my professor (Mark Southern...a jolly good English lad if ever there was one) would take examples of words from classic literature!

 

As for traditional pronunciations...I still get funny looks when I sing "Adeste fideles" with the 'traditional' pronunciation, especially in church. I guess these Catholics forgot the time when Latin was still said (and sung) in church...that, or they were all taught wrong!

 

I was trying to remember how they said it in Texas. Thanks, Doc, I might have known you'd have the information at hand. But if Mark Southern (whom I haven't heard speak) really began with an uh-, I'd say he has adapted his English accent to his surroundings -- which happens, as we know.

 

... Ah, but your mistake is checking to see whether you get funny looks. "Look confident", I said! And when singing Adeste fideles, fix your eyes on heaven.

[docoflove1974]

I was trying to remember how they said it in Texas. Thanks, Doc, I might have known you'd have the information at hand. But if Mark Southern (whom I haven't heard speak) really began with an uh-, I'd say he has adapted his English accent to his surroundings -- which happens, as we know.

 

Quite true.

 

Edit: Mark was from Cambridge...I'm quite sure he didn't grow up saying uh-NEE-id!

 

... Ah, but your mistake is checking to see whether you get funny looks. "Look confident", I said! And when singing Adeste fideles, fix your eyes on heaven.

 

Amen! (Although when your own mother is looking at you funny, that's hard to ignore!)

Edited May 31, 2007 by docoflove1974

[Traianus]

About the AE souding as ai is quite logical because if I say quickly aeneida in spanish, the "e" becomes a sort of "i" so maybe is how it sounded in latin.

 

BTW, if you want to say the perfect name, add an "a" at the end --- Ai - neh - id(this "d" pronounced as the "th" in "those") - ah

 

Please, experts of the forum, correct me if I'm wrong

[Andrew Dalby]

About the AE souding as ai is quite logical because if I say quickly aeneida in spanish, the "e" becomes a sort of "i" so maybe is how it sounded in latin.

 

BTW, if you want to say the perfect name, add an "a" at the end --- Ai - neh - id(this "d" pronounced as the "th" in "those") - ah

 

Please, experts of the forum, correct me if I'm wrong

 

Not wrong, but you're giving the pronunciation of the Spanish name, "Eneida". The Latin name was "Aeneis"; the English, which Lost Warrior originally asked us about, is "Aeneid". So if you add an "a" on the end of it, you will sound Spanish!

[Traianus]

I've searched and searched but I only see the name Aeneis in german, dutch or holland sites, but in texts written in latin I see all the time Aeneida( maybe the declination or something??)

Anyway, I'll suppose what you say because you're the expert

Edited June 2, 2007 by Traianus

[sonic]

Beware of experts! Everyone I know, especially those who claim to speak Latin 'correctly', pronounce the name 'Cicero' as 'Sissero' when, according to their own rules, it should be 'Kickero'!

 

I also had an argument with a lecturer when I pronounced the word 'Velites' as 'Vee-lights'. The lecturer said 'Vell- it- es', to which I replied shouldn't it be 'Well-it-es(s)'? Although I was right, in hindsiight I believe that it's not a good idea to wind-up your lecturer!!

[docoflove1974]

Although I was right, in hindsiight I believe that it's not a good idea to wind-up your lecturer!!

 

Eh, you can...as long as you do it kindly! Most don't like to be reminded that they make errors!