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

Benct Philip Jonsson <bpj@M...> wrote:

>Do you as well use Italian pronunciation for Latin?
The Roman catholic Church does.  We find the following instructions
in the "Liber Usualis," which is the definitive version for Gregorian
chant. (Please forgive me for not using X-SAMPA).

The vowels: fAther, rEd, fEEt, fOr, mOOn.  Y = i.
Diphthongs are pronounced as separate vowels.  AE and OE = e.
U preceded by Q or NG and followed by another vowel keeps its normal
sound & is uttered as one syllable with the vowel which follows:
quam,
sanguis.

The consonants:
C before e, ae, oe, i, y as in CHurCH.
CC before the same vowels is pronounced t-ch as in ecce, et-che.
SC before the same vowels as in SHed.
Otherwise C is always like K.
CH is always like K.

G before e, ae, oe, i, y as in Generous.
Otherwise as in Govern.

GN has the softened sound given to these letters in French and
Italian, e.g., agneau, signor.

H is pronounced K in the two words "nihil" and "mihi" and their
compounds.  In ancient times these words are often written "nichil"
and "michi."  In all other cases H is mute.

TI standing before a vowel and following any letter (except S, X, T)
is pronounced 'tsee,' e.g., laetitia, le-ti-tsi-a.

TH is always simply T.

XC before e, ae, oe, i, y = KSH.  Excelsis = ek-shel-sees.  Before
other vowels it has the usual sound of KS.

Z is pronounced dz.

Double consonants must be clearly sounded.

One can always tell when German monks (or other singers) are singing
Gregorian chant.  The say, e.g., for Cecilia, tse-tsee-lee-a, instead
of che-chee-lee-a.

Charlie