1.1. Phonetics
1.1.1. Brief introduction to Latin phonetics
The word phonetica is formed by combining the Greek word phone (sound) and the Greek suffix familiar to you from names of many sciences and fields of activity: mathematics, aesthetics, energeticsThe Greek element -τική itself was the final element of the adjective with the meaning «relating to...». Such an adjective with the noun τέχνη occupation, art named the art, e.g., μαθηματική τέχνη (matematike techne) mathematical occupation. Over time, the adjective began to be used independently as a noun, and the element -τική became an international designation for science.... Phonetics, therefore, means sounds of human speech and the branch of linguistics that studies these sounds.
Nowadays, the Latin language is dead, since there is no nation, no living people who would think in it, speak and develop it throughout their lifetime. The true Latin pronunciation is known only from the descriptions of Roman philologists of the time when the language was alive, and from linguistic research. Therefore, in relation to the Latin language, the notion of «phonetics» is quite conditional; now Latin sounds are not always pronounced in the same way.
People often seek to reproduce, as far as possible, the original Latin pronunciation of the classical period of the 1st century BC. E.g., the letter c before any vowel is read as [k]It is customary to enclose a sound designation in square brackets, as opposed to a letter. ; thus we have [kentrum], [kysterna], [kirkulus], vowels in their combinations are always read separately: [kaerimonia].
However, the Latin language, being alive, was actively developing, and great changes took place in it. In the early centuries of our era, the letter c followed by the sounds [e], [i] began to be pronounced similar to the sound [ts], and the adjacent vowels [a+e] merged into one sound [e], which turned centrum, cysterna, cyrculus and caerimonia into [center], [cistern], [circulus], [ceremonia].
This pronunciation was passed on traditionally over the ensuing centuries and was entrenched in modern European languages, therefore it is referred to as traditional.
Besides, the pronunciation of Latin letters is also affected by the influence of modern languages, so it is natural to have specifics of reading Latin texts in different countries: with a French accent in France, with an English accent in England, and with Russian in Russia.
In other words, different approaches to Latin phonetics are possible nowadays. The question of which pronunciation to prefer is usually decided depending on the objectives of learning Latin. When professionals study a language for a long time, they can afford the luxury of reading texts from each era with the pronunciation of that time. When the Latin language is studied for a short time, it is more expedient to follow the traditional pronunciation, so as not to separate the Latin language from modern languages, so that the center remains in the center (rather than in the kenter), and the circus and compasses do not become kirkus and kompasses.
Gymnastica intellecti
Gradus primus
10. What language do we called a dead one?
11. How are Latin words pronounced in different countries now?
Gradus secundus
20. How did they pronounce the letter «C» in different periods of the history of Latin language?
Gradus tertius
30. What pronunciation of Latin words is preferable for medical professionals? Why?