Latin speakers: how do you pronounce the language?

Question

Would you say veni vidi vici more like "veiny veedee veechee" or "wainy weedy weeky"? Or neither? If so, how?

Thanks ffordcash, though I'm aware of all that! I'm more interested in what proportion of answerers choose one or the other pronunciation.

Answer 1

We cannot be sure exactly how the ancient Romans pronounced their Latin, although the discipline of Historical Linguistics has given us a reasonably good idea of their general spoken practice. The early borrowings from Latin into various languages give some idea of the Roman pronunciation, for example Gothic "wins" meaning 'wine' was borrowed from Latin "vinum"; this shows the -w- pronunciation of -v- in Latin clearly, at least at the time that the borrowing took place.

In English speaking countries, two problems arise: First, are we to pronounce -v- as -w- is pronounced in English, or like English -v-? And then are we to say -ch- for Latin -c-, palatalizing the consonant before the fronted vowels, as in Italian, or pronounce it like English hard -k-? Teachers trained in the tradition of the Catholic Church will generally use the fricative -v- and the palatalized -ch-, others will use the other sounds, which the majority of modern scholars feels to be more authentic. A great deal of heat, if not light, has been spent on the problem of the "correct pronunciation of Latin". Probably most students will go with the method that their teachers use., but whichever way you follow, remember that this is a matter of scholarship, not of religion or faith. If there is any overriding parameter of judgment, it should probably be on the side of convenience, but in the last analysis the student who is really concerned with the way Latin may have sounded, as a part of his esthetic appreciation of a poet like Vergil, must try to find out the best way, so far as he can determine it, and follow it.

Answer 2

according to the classical pronunciation, you should say wainy weedy weeky, because scholars say that c was always spoken as a k and v as a w - there is however an ecclesiastic pronunciation, used in the middle age, and according to that you should say veiny veedee veeche. the second is much more used. i'm italian and i always use the ecclesiastic pronunciation.

Answer 3

We were taught in school that 'C' was always 'hard' in Latin,so that a word like 'Cicero' would be pronounced something like 'Kikero' rather than the commonly used 'Sisero',but I guess that nobody really knows exactly how Romans pronounced Latin.

Answer 4

The first form is correct.
I'm Italian and Latin(medioeval) is pronounced like Italian.
We say: " You read like it is written".
In fact english is difficult in pronounciation but very easy in grammar. Italian and Latin are the opposite.
We use phonetical alphabet to say some english words.

In universities there are many english exams in pronounciation . It sounds strange but not-english people can speak english with a pronounciation better than an english who speaks, for example, italian. This fact happens because the latin pronounciation is often overlooked because it is easy.
A is always pronounced a like come
E " " " like terry
I "" degree
O like "author" (au)
U like moon

Answer 5

I would say "weeky" ... but only because, having studied Italian linguistics, I know that "weechy" - which we were all taught to say in school - is a sort of reverse Italianisation.

Answer 6

I would pronounce it "I came, I saw, I conquered" because I'm English. It is however we:ni wi:di wi:ci mate

Answer 7

v as v.
Its pretty much as it looks.
Not surprising, because English is written in a Latin alphabet.

edit: from an English perspective - I can't see German or modern Italian pronounciation being welcome.

Answer 8

Vèh-nee ( Ve -open and stressed e sound has in vector - ni like in need)
vée-dee (vi like in vision- di like in deep)
vée-chee (vi as above - ci like in cheese)

Answer 9

w/ the w's because pplz who say it the v way have no clue
just like for wine you say, winum not vinum

Answer 10

Venny, veedy, veechy.

V as v, e as the e in met, i as the y in very or the ee in meet (short), c as ch.