Latin Language during and after the Late Antiquity. Originally: Pronounciation of Aetius

[Diocle]

How should one pronounce Aëtius name correctly?

/ Joar
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By Diocle:

I'll follow more frequently RAT forums! one thing: I studied seven years Latin, in Aetius AE is diphthong, so why the funny chuh over the E?

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Yeah, it's spelled that way in English. Natuarally the Ae is pronounced as an I, and u is a double oo. So it's I-TI-OOS. In english they put the funny thing over the e.

[Blatta Optima Maxima]

So it's not pronounced "Itioos"?

[total war lover]

no it's not pronounced that way. It's pronounced "Aaitius" ae = aai

[Blatta Optima Maxima]

Ah, the way I originally thought.


It's just that he's called "Itioos" on the TV.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

In english it's more like the words 'I' and 'shush' combined.

[Joar]

It should be pronounced A-etius ( one should hear the "e" ) also demonstrated in the Greek Ἀέτιος. It's called a diaeresis ( the two dots are called a trema). Other examples are words like naïve or the Brontë sisters etc.

[total war lover]

mmh, I could be mistaken but I don't think it's supposed to be pronounced that way. I'll ask my Latin teacher on Monday and I'll let you guys know what it is according to him

[Joar]

mmh, I could be mistaken but I don't think it's supposed to be pronounced that way. I'll ask my Latin teacher on Monday and I'll let you guys know what it is according to him

Just to be clear: how Aëtius himself meant for his name to be pronounced no one can say for sure, that's the funny thing about personal names. But, if it is spelled with an "ë", it should be pronounced A-etius, with a clearly audible e, and not as the customary "aj".

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

That's how Peter Heather said it in Barbarians, but in Latin AE is pronounced like I, and u is pronounced like double O. I'm in Latin I and am going to take Latin II in a few months.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

My posting name on RAT is the same as it is here.

[Diocle]

My posting name on RAT is the same as it is here.

Magister Militum you are a good man!
I like very much a man who listens to different opinions and is able to change his mind when he decides that it is the right thing to do; this attitude denote an open and fine mind, intellectual honesty and good predisposition towards other people!
My opinion is not important but I wanted to explain what I think!

Now about the name Aetius: Maybe Joar is right about the spell of Aetius' name, but, being Aetius "the Last of the Romans", I think it is important to know how the romans pronounced his name.
The best way, for you english-speakers barbarians, to understand what was the sound of the diphthong AE in Latin, is knowing how the Italians pronounce it:

The correct phonetic spell of the Latin diphthong 'AE' is like in english 'sent' or 'tent'.

In the ends, the Italians speaks the XXIc. Latin, comparing an Italian dictionary with a Latin one you'll find the great part of the words are the same (only same Germanic and French influences), we live in the same country and in the same towns with continuity from much more than 2500 years, the last analysis of the blood-genetic groups living today in Italy demonstrate that the ethnical subdivision of the Italian mainland is the same of that of the Roman Iron-Age: Gallo-Germanics in the North, Ancient-Italics in the Centre, mainly Greeks in the South.

[Deutschland]

All you English people with your pronounciation difficulties are funny :p

How many of you learned Latin in school?

[Diocle]

All you English people with your pronounciation difficulties are funny :p

How many of you learned Latin in school?

I also studied five years Ancient Greek, at first a true nightmere but later is more syntactically similar to modern Italian than Latin! and the first lines of Iliade! magnificent!! I was fourteen and totally annihileted that was the true Epic! and Erodotus? He is The History!! the great Tragedys!! And the greek Lyrics! Saffo! Alceo! Pindaro! and the philosophy! Plato and Socrates........There was born the Western Civilization!!!

Sorry for the names but I Know the Greek names in Italian and I should translate them in English! This is foolish! I refuse!

[Joar]

Maybe Joar is right about the spell of Aetius' name, but, being Aetius "the Last of the Romans", I think it is important to know how the romans pronounced his name.
The best way, for you english-speakers barbarians, to understand what was the sound of the diphthong AE in Latin, is knowing how the Italians pronounce it:

The correct phonetic spell of the Latin diphthong 'AE' is like in english 'sent' or 'tent'.

I think we all know how to pronounce "ae" in Latin. Now I will say this for the third time: if it is spelled with an "ë" then the "e" should be pronounced. This is not something I've invented myself, it is common knowledge. Anyone who's interested can look it up for themselves if they suspect I'm not right.

[total war lover]

Joar is right if it's "ë" then the e should be pronounced. It's derived from greek I think, like "Aër"

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Damnit wikipedia doesn't list a pronounciation but it can be spelled with or without the Diaeresis over it.

So it would be A-E-TI-US Pronounced Like the letter 'I' letter 'e' letter 't' and a 'oos' (like in goose)

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

But in the Latin Language the Diaresis does not occur, only in some turkish, french based, and dutch, and taiwanese languages.

So it should be pronounced like 'I' (like in I own a horse) 'T'(like in teeth) 'oos' (like in moose)

The own a horse part was on purpose yes

[Diocle]

I think we all know how to pronounce "ae" in Latin. Now I will say this for the third time: if it is spelled with an "ë" then the "e" should be pronounced. This is not something I've invented myself, it is common knowledge. Anyone who's interested can look it up for themselves if they suspect I'm not right.

Now I'll try to be clear!

Two eventualities:

1) If you are speaking of the international use of the dieresis as phonetic sign in various languages, Yes I totally agree with you! The vocals with dieresis must be pronounced separated as you said!

2) But, if you, a Swedish (or not? Maybe I'm wrong, if so, sorry!), trys to teach me, an Italian, how my ancestors pronunced Latin: No, no and NO!

Sorry Joar, I'm following your work and your posts here from years, they are great and I think you are the best person in the world! But please do not theach me how to pronounce Latin words!

So I'll repeat: the Latin diphthong AE must be pronounced like in English 'sent' or 'tent'.

IMPORTANT: the Latin language do not uses the dieresis

[Renatus]

Never mind the pronunciation, MMFA (I'm with Joar on that, by the way). Why is your profile on RAT different from everyone else's?