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ArchivesPronunciation: Astraea
In response to my reply to Lisa: http://www.behindthename.com/bb/arcview.php?id=109371&board=baby.
So, how does one pronounce Astraea? Did any of my guesses even come remotely close?
Miranda
So, how does one pronounce Astraea? Did any of my guesses even come remotely close?
Miranda
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Replies
ae is a variable diphthong...
rendered variously as ay, eye, or ee.
There is no 'correct' pronounciation for this diphthong - you can choose.
Enjoy your freedom :)
rendered variously as ay, eye, or ee.
There is no 'correct' pronounciation for this diphthong - you can choose.
Enjoy your freedom :)
1
Imo, ah-strah-eh-ah, for "a" never gives "ay" in Latin, and "e" can't be "ee". :)
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Continental and English pronunciation of classical Latin are two very different things, as I discovered the hard way doing second-year Latin under a Belgian professor! Took weeks to realise that Chichero = Cicero, and that was just the beginning.
The way I understand it, the ae combination is a diphthong, like the one in high or eye. So you get three syllables, not four: as-try-a. But, that's modern English classical Latin!! Until the start of the 20th century it would probably have been pronounced as-tray-a or as-tree-a; I'm a bit rusty I'm afraid!
The way I understand it, the ae combination is a diphthong, like the one in high or eye. So you get three syllables, not four: as-try-a. But, that's modern English classical Latin!! Until the start of the 20th century it would probably have been pronounced as-tray-a or as-tree-a; I'm a bit rusty I'm afraid!
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