29 March 2010

Pedants' Corner

A helpful word for any who need it: (Anglicanorum) Coetibus is pronounced, in the Italianate 'Ecclesiastical' pronunciation, Chay-ti-buss. This is because (diphthongised) o+e=e; which 'softens' a c.

If you are Ciceronians or Erasmians or whatever, I suppose you say Koy-ti-buss.

In the old-style English pronunciation of Latin, it would be See-ti-buss.

Not Ko-eet-i-buss or Cho-eet-i-buss. Coetus and Coitus are distinct words, although, entertainingly, they do share a common ancestry.

8 comments:

  1. coitus ~us, m. [coeo +tus3] N.B.: see also COETVS, which is not distinguishable in some senses.

    while the Oxford Latin Dictionary (from which the above definition is taken) is not without its faults, this and the fact the two words share derivation and meaning (broadly something to do with coming together) does (one might argue) allow one to disagree with you, Father. I suppose that I too am being pedantic, but that's no bad thing.

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  2. I would guess that 'see-ti-bus' would be patrimonial.

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  3. I suppose a German would say "saytibus" - and isn't that kind of pronunciation recommended when you are singing Latin words to settings by e.g. Bach?

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  4. Since the writer of the Apostolic Constitution chose to use the word coetus rather than the word coitus, it would be a trifle to perverse, not to say confusing, to pronounce the word he didn't use rather than the word he did use, while purporting to be quoting his words.

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  5. This brings back memories of being taught "ciceronian" Latin by a teacher - who really preferred the older English pronunciation - while being coached by my father who's Latin was more, but not quite, "ecclesiastical".

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  6. I never had the chance to learn Latin in school as such, but my Classical Studies teacher saw an aptitude and let me keep some of his coursebooks for the subject. I was exposed to both sorts of pronunciations - boy, was I confused!

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  7. It looks like none of the suggested pronunciations are correct either in restored or Ecclesiastical system since a glottal stop or at least a pause is necessary between the o and e (or o and i)in order to prevent diphthongization. A diaeresis should probably be uses as in coëo.

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  8. Or, more grammatically, ... it looks like none of the .... is correct...

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