|
|
“V” versus “U” in Classical Latin
How was the “V” pronounced in classical latin ?
was “V” in classical latin pronounced like “U” ? For example “veni vidi vici” ? Therefore pronounced as “weni widi wici” ?
Or was "V" having a double nature as consonant and vowel ?
how did the Romans pronounced and spelled VENUS ? was it spelled VENVS ? and how would you know when "V" was pronounced V and when was pronounced U ?
Hi, the romans didn't made distinction between U and V in writingm they had different sounds but they wrote U, V as V. Venus is spelled as in italian venus, you reckon that V is U simply when it is in interconsonantic position. Ex : MINISTRIBVS, between two consonat there is to be a U, not V
No idea how it was pronounced, but it started a trend. (The "Classical Trend".)
http://166.114.28.115/20030529/images/mundo01.jpg
Les deux se prononçaient [w]. <V> en majuscule et <u> en minuscule.
VIR - uir
Sorry, it is wrong, vis is pronounced vir, there is no difference on writng V or U ofr the romans, but vir pronounced ''[V]ir''
Il n'y avait pas de [v] en orolatin classique, Philx. Donc ni <u> ni <V> ne se prononçaient [v].
Précisions : 1/ <u> & <V> pouvaient être réalisés [u] ou [w] ou [uw] (non-répétitition des graphèmes) 2/ <i> & <J> pouvaient être réalisés [i] ou [j] ou [ij] (non-répétitition des graphèmes)
>It is believed that 'v' was originally pronounced as 'w' in Latin even though these things are hard to confirm 100%.<
VNDE EST VERITAS ? where is the true ? we know that VNDE is pronounced "unde" and VERITAS "veritas" IN VINO VERITAS ! the true is in wine ! Roman "V" Undoubtedly was bivalent, equally as “V” and “U”
La <VERITAS> = La <ueritas> = La [weritas].
La <VINO> = La <uino> = La [wino]. La <VNDE> = La <unde> = La [unde]. La <V> = La <u> = La [w] [u] [uw]. Les symboles <xxx> signifient des graphèmes (des mots écrits). Les symboles [xxx] signifient des phones (des sons prononcés).
@ Greg,
Hi, thanks for your precisation, but [V] is not as you may have believed I.P.A grapheme, it is another type of classification used here in italy for the greek and latin, [V] is however not [W], this is what is belived to be in most descriptive grammar but the real correct sound it was in the middle of V,W. Infact the distinction between U n V appeared only in the late empire, and i'm not reffering to orolatin but written one.
>La <VERITAS> = La <ueritas> = La [weritas].
La <VINO> = La <uino> = La [wino]. La <VNDE> = La <unde> = La [unde]. La <V> = La <u> = La [w] [u] [uw]. what do you mean ? was VERITAS and VINO pronounced "weritas" and "wino" by the Romans ? than why the Romance languages pronounce VINO ?
>Infact they pronounced veritas and vino <
Definitely, Roman V, had two meanings, standing as U and V as well. VENVS was always pronounced "Venus" goddess of love (in Roman Mythology) |