Re: Reading old Greek (was: kudos (was: most looked-up words))

On Saturday, December 11, 2004, at 08:18 , Benct Philip Jonsson wrote:

> Ray Brown wrote:
[snip]
>> I think it is important for a proper understanding of ancient metrics etc
>> to know the _theory_ of the reconstructionS [plural] for the different
>> varieties of Greek - but for practical purposes I use the current Greek
>> pronunciation.
>
> Do you as well use Italian pronunciation for Latin?
Certainly for medieval Latin. To pronounce the medieval stuff with the
restored Classical pronunciation - as I have heard done - is as ridiculous
as and as anachronistic as reading a modern English newspaper with
Chaucerian pronunciation. It also tends to lose many rhymes in verse!

As for Classical Latin, if it prose, I tend to use the Italianate
pronunciation also. But if was reading Vergil, I might well use the
"restored Classical" in an attempt to keep Vergil's verse rhythm as far as
possible. In the case of Latin, the evidence for the Classical
pronunciation is surer than it is for classical Greek, and there are less
uncertainties. Having said that, it would probably sound foreign to Cicero.

Ray
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