I need to know that I am saying the phrase “dictum meum pactum” correctly.
Is it:
dicktum meeyum packtum?
deek-toom may-oom pahk-toom
Jesus christ, I would have made a fool of myself. Thanks.
I should footnote that with “As I remember from high school Latin 20-odd years ago”. Might want to wait for someone who’s surer than I am.
jayjay’s rendering looks good; however, this is a complex topic muddled by the fact there are not only two similar but different schools of thought, depending on the context, but that some Latin words and phrases are terms of art which are essentially part of the mainstream language (in this case, English) and are pronounced as such. In short: Lawyers and doctors don’t pronounce their Latin in an imitation of Cicero; neither do English-speaking historians use the (perhaps better historically justified) “kee-KER-oh” pronunciation of that name, they all use the more Anglicized “SIS-uh-roh”.
Here is a simple guide on pronouncing Latin in a generally scholarly fashion.
I think it depends on whether you want that with a Roman or Medieval accent.
I’m not being a smart ass, I’m pretty sure pronunciation is significantly different. Just don’t ask me for any specifics.
Well, if we wish to get truly philological on this thing’s ass, we could probably distinguish among the various periods of Rome’s existence, Republic and Empire, and dig up evidence about how things were pronounced over that multi-century span.
Anyway, the distinction I think you’re referring to is the distinction between Classical and Ecclesiastical pronunciations, which are, respectively, how we think things were pronounced near the end of Late Antiquity, and how the Roman Catholic Church traditionally taught priests to pronounce the Latin used in mass and so on, which is closer to Italian.
Consonants as in English.
“I” like the “i” in hit.
“U” like the “u” in put.
“E” like the “a” in game (just slightly clipped, not drawn out).
“A” like the “a” in father.
‘Klaa-too bah-rah-dah nick-too’
Make sure you say them when you remove the book. It’s very important.
That gets my vote.
The OP’s pronunciation could be used for the first and last words, but you definitely want “may-um”, not “mee-um”. The latter sounds like fake American Indian accent.
Thanks everyone. Lemme share a lil’ story…
I often have drinks with two friends. One is Argentinian and Hebrew, the other is West Indian. When we do toasts, each of us has to say our toast in our native tongues, and then translate. (my “native tongue” being slang. Heh.)
So, I wanted to surprise them this time and translate from Latin to slang (word is bond). They are going to laugh their heads off.
I’m sorry, but no. The “ooh” sound (like the “u” in rude) is for a Latin long “u.” The "u"s in dictum and pactum are short, pronounced like the “u” in put.
According to my high school Latin teacher, it would’ve been
“dick-tum, may-um, pack-tum”.
I think.
Well, if the u is the u in put, and not in cut, and the a is closer to the o in cot.
What does “word is bond” mean in non-slang?
Trust me?
In that case, it doesn’t matter. And if anyone does argue with your pronunciation, just ask if they’re using the scholarly or liturgical pronunciation. If THAT doesn’t shut them, invent an article you just read that is challenging former theories.
That toast means your word is your bond. “Noster” would be “our”, “nostrum” in this case. That would imply a single agreement between the three of you. Dicta nostra pacta might mean that all of you, as individuals, are people of honor.
I like the use of the gerund for say, rather than the more obvious noun
Sigh. It’s still not “oom,” it’s “um.” Like in posts # 8, 12, & 13/14. Like in the link you provided below.
Now, as for “may” vs. “meh,” it’s in between, sort of a half-long “a,” but a bit closer to “ay” than to “eh.” Again, like in the link below.
Now you’re talking! That’s got it right.
Neither “oom” nor “um” has an unambiguous pronunciation, so your frustration is misplaced.