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PART I

THE PRONUNCIATION OF LATIN


THE ALPHABET

1. The Latin alphabet contains the same letters as the English except that it has no w and no j.

2. The vowels, as in English, are a, e, i, o, u, y. The other letters are consonants.

3. I is used both as a vowel and as a consonant. Before a vowel in the same syllable it has the value of a consonant and is called I consonant.

Thus in Iū-li-us the first i is a consonant, the second a vowel.


SOUNDS OF THE LETTERS[1]

4. Latin was not pronounced like English. The Romans at the beginning of the Christian era pronounced their language substantially as described below.

5. The vowels have the following sounds:

Vowels[2] Latin Examples
ā as in father hāc, stās
ă like the first a in aha′, never as in hat ă′-măt, că′-nās
ē as in they tē′-lă, mē′-tă
ĕ as in met tĕ′-nět, mĕr′-cēs
ī as in machine sĕr′-tī, prā′-tī
  1. N.B. The sounds of the letters are best learned by hearing them correctly pronounced. The matter in this section is, therefore, intended for reference rather than for assignment as a lesson. As a first step it is suggested that the teacher pronounce the examples in class, the pupils following.
  2. Long vowels are marked ¯, short ones ˘.
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