X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000
Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 09:06:43 -0400
From: Art Weil <[log in to unmask]>
X-Mozilla-Draft-Info: internal/draft; vcard=0; receipt=0; uuencode=0; html=0; linewidth=79
X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win98; I)
X-Accept-Language: en
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: pronunciation
References: <3.0.1.32.20000418170359.00afd1a0@thomas>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

EXACTLY!
        I have a friend who is a priest. (you're probably surprised that I have
a friend). He teaches at aCatholic girls collejj and is the only Latin speaker
there. He tells me that he hasn't the slightest idea how Ceasar or Homer
pronounced words. He also imagines that like our use in modern languages, there
was some slurring, short cuts, and regional pronounciations. There is no reason
to imagine that a good Roman couldn't say the equivalent of: Hey, man; whas
hapnin?
        Art

Patty Jansen wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> That was a nice story, Lynn, only it will work only in the US. Being in
> Australia, I already find it hard to understand what Americans are on about
> when they talk about shells, just fancy how somebody from Hungary (or any
> non-English speaking country for that matter)  is supposed to understand.
>
> Unfortunately, in the times of the Romans and the Greeks, there were no
> tape recorders, and if any of those ancient Greeks or Romans were ever to
> travel to our times in a time machine, he'd probably have a fit laughing at
> how we are trying to pronounce the words (and we've probably unknowlingly
> have created a few combinations that in their eyes would have been - hum -
> rather rude).
>
> So I just re-iterate what everybody has said: there is no right way to
> pronounce things, so there's no point in arguing over pronunciation either.
> Just remember that pronunciation will vary tremendously depending on what
> part of the world you are in. At least the written name should always make
> sense.
>
> Patty
> WWW: http://www.capricornica.com
>
> Capricornica Publications               on-line natural history bookshop
> P.O. Box 345
> Lindfield NSW 2070
> Australia
>
> phone/fax: 02 9415 8098 international: +61 2 9415 8098
> mobile 0412 865030
>
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]