pronunciation of Principia -Reply

["Sr. Margaret Clarke" <mclarke@css.edu>]

Pedantic trivia:  delete before reading! 

In the spirit of picking finer and finer nits:  Latin pronunciation has varied
with time and geographical location.    Prin-kip'-ee-a, as Leigh pointed out, is
"classical" pronunciation, popularized in the nineteenth century as a part of
the romantic revival, and based upon scholarly opinion of what the Romans
probably used.  There is (contrary to the party line) no standardized "Church"
pronunciation.  Prin-sip'-ee-a  is what we think of as "Jesuit" (probably
Spanish in origin) pronunciation.  From the Renaissance onward, sung church
latin has utilized the "Italianate" pronunciation, in which we would say
Prin-chee'-pee-a.    Prin-si-pee'-a is a solecism.      I took Latin originally
from a classicist, spent my undergrad years at a Jesuit university, and then
joined the Benedictines where italianate rules.  Even now I get confused.
Margaret Clarke, OSB 
College of St. Scholastica, Duluth.

> > > Larry Smith <Larry.Smith@SNOW.EDU> 12/16 3:29 pm >>>
I have heard that the proper (derived from Latin) pronunciation of Newton's
Principia is prin-kip'-ee-a.  I have heard many others pronounce it
prin-sip'-ee-a, but heard on a cassette tape about the world's greatest 100
people the pronunciation prin-si-pee'-a.

What do you Latin experts say?

Just a nit to pick for the holidays.

Larry