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ArchivesRe: What is the original pronounciation of Lydia?
in reply to a message by Pavlos
Welcome back, Pav! It's been a long time.
When did 'delta' start sounding like 'th-'? And does it work in all positions, including initial - would it be Demeter or Themeter, for instance? And what about the Thelphic Oracle?
Cyber-hugs from South Africa
When did 'delta' start sounding like 'th-'? And does it work in all positions, including initial - would it be Demeter or Themeter, for instance? And what about the Thelphic Oracle?
Cyber-hugs from South Africa
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"When" may not really be the right question. The pronunciation of |d| as |ð| or |þ| and vice versa is a common occurrence in dialect variation. In local vernacular speech it may have always been pronounced that way in some regions, no matter how it was written in formal "Classical" texts. Don't forget that even in ancient times there were more than a couple of variations of Greek (Attic, Doric, Ionian, Cretan etc.), with their own variations in pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary. Texts tend to be standardized fairly rapidly in copying, so even reflected in regional spelling conventions (which they may not be), ancient dialect pronunciations can be difficult to determine even if they're reflected in modern usage.
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Helpful comment, thank you!
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Anneza, it's been a while!
Delphic is indeed pronounced "Thelphic" but with a th- pronounced as in the words "though, thereafter, therefore" rather than in "throw, theater, Thylvethter the Cat".
Hugs backacha from Greece :-)
Delphic is indeed pronounced "Thelphic" but with a th- pronounced as in the words "though, thereafter, therefore" rather than in "throw, theater, Thylvethter the Cat".
Hugs backacha from Greece :-)
This message was edited 5/12/2017, 4:31 AM
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