Latin pronounciation

[Erast Parmasto]

On Fri, 26 Feb 1999 08:09:34 -0800,
Richard Jensen  <rjensen at SAINTMARYS.EDU> wrote:

>Erast Parmasto wrote:
>
>>    I have never heard any American / Englishman pronounce English
>> correctly, the way it would have been pronounced by Mr. Shakespeare.
>> Moreover, the Latin names pronounced in English (in American?) sound quite
>> differently in Louisiana and Maryland. Maybe, Californian pronounciation is
>> the only correct one? Let us discuss this.
>
>The implication here is that language must not evolve.  Just as word usage
>evoloves, and as new words evolve, I suspect that pronunciation must evolve as
>well.

   The implication here was that language _do_ envolve. We are not able
to pronounce Latin as Plinius Secundus did, nevertheless there is the
possibility to pronounce Latin (plant, fungal, animal) names in Latin. The
differences between pronounciation of Latin words in Germany, Finland,
Italy, France are not very big, indeed.
   The problem is very simple. To use Latin one has to learn Latin.  Not
much, maybe during some days or a week. But - to learn it, one has to want
to learn. That is that.
   Please, excuse my bad English. It is more difficult to learn than Latin.

Erast Parmasto

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   "The main thing, is to keep the main thing, the main thing."
                                                 Scott Krippayne
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Erast Parmasto
Institute of Zoology & Botany, Estonian Agricultural University
181 Riia St., EE 51014 Tartu, Estonia
Phone: +372 7 383 027; Fax: +372 7 383 013
<e.parmasto at zbi.ee>