Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (1919 Printing)

Two methods of pronouncing Latin are now in extended general English use; one, the so-called English method, follows in general the analogies of English pronunciation according to certain formal rules; the other, the so-called Roman method, attempts to follow more or less closely, as far as it is known, the pronunciation of the Romans themselves at the height of their civilization (about B.C. 50 to A.D. 50).

The English method was until recently taught in both England and America, and is still used almost exclusively in the pronunciation of Latin scientific words, and in names, phrases, and quotations, when these are in English context. Since most of the Latin words and phrases contained in the Dictionary fall in one or another of these categories, their pronunciation is indicated according to the English method.

Syllabication and Accent of Latin Words

Every Latin word has as many syllables as it has vowels or diphthongs. In the English method, words are syllabified according to English analogies. In the Roman method, words are syllabified as follows: (a) A single consonant (including consonant i and v) or, by many, any consonant group (as sp, st, gn) that can begin a word, when between two vowels is written and pronounced with the following vowel. Doubled consonants are separated. Examples: mi′li-tes, de′ti-net. Some carry over an x to the following syllable, as in di′xit; but the division dix′it is, on the whole, to be preferred. (b) Prefixes and suffixes are kept separate.

Words of two syllables are accented on the first syllable; as, pa′ter, mi′les. Words of more than two syllables are accented on the penult (next to the last syllable), if it is long; otherwise they are accented on the antepenult (last syllable but two).

NOTE. No attempt is made to cover the rules for determining the quantities of Latin vowels and syllables. A complete statement of these is to be found in any Latin grammar. The proper accentuation is indicated for all Latin words and phrases. In accordance with most present usage, Latin words and phrases which are considered to be purely such are divided into syllables according to the Roman method, and further indication of the pronunciation is usually omitted, except that when such division would lead to mispronunciation of any word according to the English method, the pronunciation of the word according to that method is shown; as, non de′ti-net (dĕt′ĭ-nĕt). For those who prefer to pronounce such Latin quotations according to the Roman method, the syllabification as indicated, together with the Rules for the "Roman" Pronunciation of Latin given later, will be a sufficient guide.

Rules for the English Pronunciation of Latin

Syllabic division, as forming a basis for these rules, follows the English method; thus, det′i-net, etc., and not de′ti-net, as now commonly divided. Cf. NOTE, above.

1. Vowels, when ending accented syllables, have always the sounds as in āle, ēve, īce, ōld, ūse; as, pā′ter, hō′mo, etc.

When final in unaccented syllables, vowels are as follows:

A has the sound of ȧ in so′fȧ; as, mu′sa (mū′zȧ), a-cer′bus (ȧ-sûr′bŭs).

E, o, and u have nearly the same sound as when accented, but slightly shorter; as, rē′tè, vō′lò, po′pu-li (pŏp′ù-lī).

I, when the final sound of a word, always has its long sound (as in īce); as, nī′sī. EXCEPTION: The final i of tibi and sibi has, like the first i, its short sound (as in ĭt).

I, at the end of an unaccented syllable, not final, has its short sound; as de′tĭ-net. EXCEPTION: I has its long sound in the first syllable of a word the second syllable of which is accented, when it either stands alone before a consonant, as in ī-dō′lum, or ends a syllable followed by a vowel, as in fī-ē′bam, ī-ăm′bus.

Y is always pronounced like i in the same position.

2. Vowels, when followed by a consonant in the same syllable, have always the sounds as in măn, mĕt, ĭn, ŏdd, nŭt; as, măg′nus, rĕg′num, hŏc, etc. EXCEPTIONS: —

A, following qu before dr, has the sound of a in quadrant, as in quad′rans (kwŏd′rănz); when followed by rt it has the sound of a in quart, as in quar′to. Otherwise, a before r has the sound of a in art, as in par′ti-ceps, ar′ma; except when followed by another r, as in păr′ri-ci′da.

E, i, and y, before r final in a word or final in a syllable, when followed in the next syllable by any other consonant than another r, sound as in her, fir; as, fer′vet (fûr′vĕt), hir′cus (hûr′kŭs).

Es, at the end of a word, sounds like the English word ease; as, mi′li-tes (mĭl′ĭ-tēz).

Os, at the end of plural cases, sounds like ose in dose; as, do′mi-nos (dŏm′i-nōs).

Post, alone or compounded, is pronounced like post in English, as in post′e-a; but not in its derivatives, as in pŏs-tre′mus.

3. Diphthongs are as follows:

Æ (ae) and œ (oe) are always diphthongs unless separated by diaeresis. They are pronounced as e would be in the same position; as, æ′vum (ē′vŭm), æs (ēz). [NOTE]

Au, when a diphthong, is pronounced as ô (ôr [boldface omitted —MH]); as, au′rum (ô′rŭm).

Au, in the termination of proper names from the Greek, has the vowels pronounced separately; as Men′e-lā′us.

Ai, ei, oi, and yi, usually have the vowels pronounced separately. When they are accented, and followed by another vowel, the i is pronounced like initial y; as, Cassiopeia (-pē′yȧ), Troia (trō′yȧ), Harpyia (-pī′yȧ).

Ei, when a diphthong, and not followed by another vowel, is pronounced like ī; as in ei-do′lon.

Eu, when a diphthong, is pronounced as ū (ūse); as in Eu-phrā′tes, e′heu.

Eu has the letters pronounced separately in the termination eus and eum of Latin nouns and adjectives, except neuter [significance unclear: garbled rule? —MH]; as me′um, me′us. Otherwise it is pronounced as a diphthong; as, Eu-rō′pa (ù-rō′pȧ), The′seus (thē′sūs).

NOTE. The termination eus, in proper names derived from the third declension of Greek contracts in -εὐς, is better pronounced in one syllable, as Or′pheus (ôr′fūs), The′seus (thē′sūs); although many pronounce it in two, Or′phe-us, The′se-us.

Ua, ue, ui, uo, uu, when diphthongs, are pronounced like wa, we, etc.; as, lin′gua (lĭŋ′gwȧ), quo′ta (kwō′tȧ), e′quus (ē′kwŭs), etc. They are always diphthongs after q and usually after g.

Ui in cui and huic is pronounced like ī (kī, hīk); or by some, like wī (kwī, hwīk).

4. Consonants are, in general, pronounced as in English, but the following cases are to be noted:

C, before e, i, and y, and the diphthongs æ, œ, and eu, is pronounced as s; as in Cæ′sar, cœ′lum. EXCEPTION: C, ending or following an accented syllable, before i followed by a vowel, and also before eu and yo, has the sound of sh; as, fa′ci-as (fā′shĭ-ăs), Si′cy-on (sĭsh′ĭ-on).

Ch has the sound of k, as in char′ta (kär′tȧ), but before th at the beginning of the word it is silent; as, Chtho′ni-a (thō′nĭ-ȧ).

Ct, initial, in words of Greek origin, is pronounced as t; as cte-nid′i-um (tè-nĭd′ĭ-ŭm).

G is pronounced "soft" (like j) before e, i, and y, and the diphthongs æ and œ; as, ge′nus (jē′nŭs), æ′gis (ē′jĭs). Otherwise it has its "hard" sound (as in bag, go).

When g comes before another g "soft," it is assimilated to it in pronunciation; as, Ag′ger (ăj′ẽr).

Gn, initial, in words of Greek origin, is pronounced as n; as, gno′mon (nō′mŏn).

Mn, initial, in words of Greek origin, is pronounced as n; as, Mne-mos′y-ne (nè-mŏs′ĭ-nē).

Ph is usually pronounced as f. Before th at the beginning of a word it is usually silent; as phthi′sis (thī′sĭs).

Ps, initial, in words of Greek origin, is pronounced as s; as, psy-cho′sis (sī-kō′sĭs).

Pt, initial, in words of Greek origin, is pronounced as t; as, pter′o-dac′tyl (tĕr′ò-dăk′tĭl).

S is usually "sharp" (as in sun). EXCEPTIONS: (a) Si, followed by a vowel and immediately preceded by a consonant in an accented syllable, is pronounced as shi; as Al′si-um (ăl′shĭ-ŭm). (b) Si and zi, followed by a vowel and immediately preceded by an accented vowel, are pronounced zhi; as, ec-cle′sia (ĕ-klē′zhĭ-ȧ), Sa-ba′zi-a (sȧ-bā′zhĭ-ȧ). In a few proper names, s preceded by a vowel in an accented syllable and followed by an i before another vowel, has the sound of sh; as Asia (ā′shĭ-ȧ), Theodosia (thē′ò-dō′shĭ-ȧ).

S, final in a word, after e, æ, au, b, m, n, and r, has the sound of z; as, mi′les (mī′lēz), æs (ēz), laus (lôz), lens (lĕnz), Mars (märz). In accordance with English analogy, s is pronounced as z in Cæ′sar, cæ-su-ra (usually), mi′ser, mu′sa, re-sid′u-um, cau′sa, ro′sa, and their derivatives, and in some other words; but not (usually) in Cæsarea, nor in trans or its compounds; as, trans′e-at.

T, following an accented syllable and preceding an i followed by another vowel, sounds like sh; as, ra′ti-o (rā′shĭ-ō; -shō), Ig-na′ti-us (ĭg-nā′shĭ-ŭs; -shŭs). But t in such positions retains its sound as in English tin after s, t, or x, as in Sal-lus′ti-us, Brut′ti-i; and in proper names ending in -tion or -tyon, as in The′o-do′ti-ion, Am-phic′ty-on.

X, initial, has the sound of z, as in Xan'thi-um (zăn′thĭ-ŭm), Xen′o-phon; otherwise it has the sound of ks, as in ax′is (ăk′sĭs), ex′e-unt. EXCEPTIONS: When ex (also by some ux) is followed by a vowel in an accented syllable, the x has the sound of gz; as, ex-em′plum (ĕg-zĕm′plŭm).

X, final in a syllable, before i followed by another vowel, or before u with the sound of ū or ù, is pronounced as ksh; as, nox′i-us (nŏk′shĭ-ŭs).

Rules for the "Roman" Pronunciation of Latin

There are no silent letters and no obscured vowels. Each vowel has always the same, or nearly the same, sound, but may be long or short in actual quantity.

The vowels are sounded as follows:

Long.	Short.
a, as in art. e, " a in pale or cha′os. i, " in po-lice′. o, " " pole. u, " " rude (rōōd). y, " French u or German ü.	a, as in ar-tis′tic. e, " a in cha-ot′ic, or as e in pen. i, as in tin. o, " " o-bey′. u, " " pull (pŏŏl).

The diphthongs are sounded:

Æ (ae) as ai in aisle; au as ou in house; ei as ei in veil; eu as ā′ōō; œ [corr. from 'oi' —MH] (oe) as oi in oil; ui as wē, as in cui (kwē), huic (hwēk).

The consonants:

B, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, and qu are pronounced as in English; except that bs and bt are pronounced as ps and pt.

C always as in cow; never as in city or in gracious (-shŭs). Cf. t.

Ch as k + h, about as in truck horse; but it may be pronounced as simple k.

G always "hard," as in go; never as in gem. When ngu precedes a vowel, the gu has the sound of gw; as in languens.

J is like y in yes.

Ph as p + h, about as in loophole; but it may be pronounced as simple p or like English ph (f [boldface omitted —MH]), a sound which it acquired soon after the classical period.

R is trilled slightly with the tip of the tongue.

S always "sharp," as in sun.

Su as sw; as in suavitas.

T always as in tun; never as in nation (-shŭn).

Th as t + h, about as in hothouse; but it may be pronounced as simple t.

V like w.

X always as in box; never as in ex-ist′ (ĕg-zĭst′), or in xe′bec (zē′bĕk).

Z as in maze, or as dz in adz.