Alphabet

The evolution of the Latin character set

a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i=j, k,

l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u=v,

x, y, z

Pronunciation

vowels: a, e, i, o, u

diphthongs: ae (eye), oe (oil), [au, ei, eu, ui]

consonants:

c = (car: always hard, no movement of lips or jaw)

s = (see: always voiceless)

t = (tea)

v = (we: no touch of teeth with lip)

ca, ce, ci, co, cu

ga, ge, gi, go, gu

gua, gue, gui, guo, guu (lingua)

qua, que, qui, quo, quu

ra, re, ri, ro, ru

tia, tie, tii, tio, tiu

va, ve, vi, vo, vu

Medieval Pronunciation

ae => e: laetus a um, happy; aequus a um, equal (equus i m. horse); caelum i n. sky

oe => e: coeptus us m. beginning

ce: cena ae f. meal

ci: cinis eris m. ashes; Cicero

ge: genu us n. knee

gi: magister tri m. teacher

gn: dignatio onis f. honour; magnes etis f. magnet; ignis is m. fire: ignotus a um, ignorant; agnus i m, lamb

sc: conscientia ae f. conscience

ti+vowel => si+vowel: laetitia ae f. joy; mutatio onis f. change; sapientius more wisely

Stress:

long vowel <-> short vowel MTR

* In general stress is on the last-but-one vowel:

tua, ibi, amo, emo, nemo, mane, sano, sapo, sudo

vita, nota, peto, vivo, muto, puto, tuba, fumo, bene

culīna, farīna, regīna, corōna, cubīle, imāgo, ovīle, sedīle

juvāre, lavāre, habēre, monēre, movēre, vidēre, venīre, punīre

* Stress is on the last-but-two vowel, if the last-but-one vowel is not long in words of more than two syllables:

anima, domina, famula, tabula, tegula, regula, minime

filia, familia, miseria, memoria, pecunia, cupio, facio

diligo, nomino, semino, dubito

* Suffices like -que, -ne, -ve cause the stress of the word to fall on its last syllable.

vinum - vinūmque.

populus - SPQR: Senatus Populūsque Romanus

vidīsti - Eum vidistīne?

discipulus - magister discipulūsve

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Nuntii Latini - Finnish Broadcasting Company.
Poetry recited - Harvard Classics
Latin Survival Phrases
Benedictus XVI
Obeliscus
Valedicere