Numism > Help For the New Ancient Coin Collector

English pronounciation of names, denominations etc.

<< < (2/2)

Jochen:
Looking at this thread again I see that the questions of Automan are still unanswered. So I will try:

- Laodiceia (I would pronounce this law-di-KEY-a, but that's more Greek
  than English, I think). Although the name is often spelled Laodicea...
  I would say Lah-oh-dee-SSAY-ah
- Cotiaeum (ko-ti-a-EH-um?) I would say Koh-tee-AEH-um.
- Amasia (a-MEY-sia or Ah-mah-SEE-ah?)
- Calchedon (KAL-ke-don or KAL-che-don? I would say Kal-che-DOHN.
- Nicaea (nai-SEE-ah or nih-KAI-ah?)
- Seleuceia (sel-yu-KEI-ah or sel-OOH-sia or sel-YOU-see-ah or sel-YOU-
   sei-ah or sel-e-YOU-sei-ah; the varieties are endless)
   I would say Seh-loi-KEI-ah
- Side (SAI-di or SIH-deh?)
- Caracalla (ca-RAH-calla or cah-rah-CAL-lah) (CAL is long by position: the two L's make it fit for stress!)
- Antoninus (an-to-NAI-nus or an-toh-NIH-nus or perhaps an-TO-
  ni-nus? (the I is long by nature!)

I see it is not so easy to write it down for correct English pronounciation!

Regards

Steve Minnoch:
In Greek inscriptions the spelling of Laodiceia has a K so Laodikeia is the more phonetic transliteration into English.  Most English-speakers would probably pronounce it with an "S" sound if untutored, but then most English-speakers would have no idea what the word is!

Steve

slokind:
But the English, the schooled English, since Colet at least have systematically Latinized the Greek and Englished the pronunciation of the Latin.  Doing so does require knowing Greek and Latin, but those interested in Laodicea tended to know them.  See Head's HN for these spellings.  That Spring chicken David Sear still uses them naturally.  Even I was taught to, but I'm 70.  They make word searches by computer easier--when everyone uses them.  But why should anyone but schooled Anglophones use them?  I can assure you that my students can't, and refuse to try.  I daresay that the patrons of beautiful launderettes in London sympathize with my students, not to mention the denizens of Daniel Pennac's Belleville.
Pat L.

Numerianus:
The problem is very  complicated.  Englsh is now an international language: one billion English speakers
in India, one and half in China and a half billion in continental Europe.  So British English, Australian
English or American English are just by local dialects, rather uncomprehensive, but luckily spoken by minorities.
My colleague in Australia was recommended in a drugstore to visit  a physician ``todie". He was scared but his case  was
not so serious:  the common  meaning  there is  "today".  Of course, this is a joke  but  for people who was
 taught in various countries the pronounciation of  Latin and Greek words in  languages of international communications
(currently, the dominating one is English but a few decades ago it was German and French) may pose problems.    
 

Robert_Brenchley:
English is essentially a mass of regional dialects all round the world; my wife used to teach it in Africa, but when we got together we soon found that we were virtually speaking different languages, and had constant confusion because we used the same word to mean totally different things! So 'plenty' meant 'enough' to me, and 'far too much' to her, for instance. It took some time to get the differences ironed out.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page