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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, pră'tī |
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Long vowels are marked ¯, short ones ˘.
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