# How to pronounce Principia? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513 "2013-11-09T16:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/1 "2013-11-09T16:21:44Z")
I was listening to a book on tape in my car yesterday and there was a mention of Isaac Newton’s book _Principia Mathematica_. It’s one of those things I’ve read many times but never heard pronounced before. And the reader pronounced it prin-chip-ia. Now mentally I’ve always thought of it as prin-sip-ia on the basis of how I pronounce words like principle. But it’s a Latin word so I could see the possibility it was pronounced prin-kip-ia. But prin-chip-ia? I hadn’t even considered that. So is prin-chip-ia the correct pronunciation or is the person who read it thus misguided? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/2 "2013-11-09T16:24:23Z")
I’ve only heard it pronounced with the “k” sound. Ah, and there appears to be [a previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=467186) about this. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/3 "2013-11-09T16:36:01Z")
“Prinkipia” is probably pretty close to how an ancient Roman would have pronounced it, but “princhipia” is probably closer to how Newton would have pronounced it. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/4 "2013-11-09T16:57:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > “Prinkipia” is probably pretty close to how an ancient Roman would have pronounced it, but “princhipia” is probably closer to how Newton would have pronounced it. That’s because the Brits developed their own very peculiar pronounshiashun of Latin that persists until today in some corners. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/5 "2013-11-09T17:02:15Z")
An Italian would generally pronounce ‘c’ as ‘ch’, as in ciao. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/6 "2013-11-09T17:28:00Z")
Prin-SIP-i-a has the added advantage of the word’s meaning being at least reasonably recognizable to English speakers, whereas Prin-KIP-i-a does not. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/7 "2013-11-09T20:29:57Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Prin-SIP-i-a has the added advantage of the word’s meaning being at least reasonably recognizable to English speakers, whereas Prin-KIP-i-a does not. People attending a local college by that name pronounce it Prin-SIP-e-a. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/8 "2013-11-09T21:47:12Z")
Anything other than “Prin-SIP-ee-uh” makes my brain twitch. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/9 "2013-11-09T21:51:13Z")
UK, “Prin Kip ia” never heard it pronounced any other way. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/10 "2013-11-09T22:19:04Z")
In classical Latin, ‘c’ was always pronounced like ‘k’, so it’d be prin-kip-ia. In modern church Latin, ‘c’ is often pronounced like ‘ch’, so it could be ‘prin-chip-ia’. ‘prin-sip-ia’ is definitely wrong. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/11 "2013-11-09T22:39:31Z")
Actually, any pronunciation of _Principia Mathematically_ is wrong, wrt to the OP. That is the title of a book written by Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell. Newton’s book is tilted: _Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica_. So there! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/12 "2013-11-09T22:49:35Z")
I’d pronounce it prin-CHEEP-ee-uh, and I’d roll the ‘r’, but I’m funny that way. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/13 "2013-11-09T23:00:18Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > In classical Latin, ‘c’ was always pronounced like ‘k’, so it’d be prin-kip-ia. In modern church Latin, ‘c’ is often pronounced like ‘ch’, so it could be ‘prin-chip-ia’. ‘prin-sip-ia’ is definitely wrong. I don’t know about that. We can accept that term as having become part of the English language and properly apply English pronunciation rules to it. I see no reason, certainly in informal speech, to adhere to Latin pronunciation rules. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/14 "2013-11-09T23:14:16Z")
“Prin-chip-ee-uh” is how my my Italian Newtonian mechanics prof pronounced it, for what that’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/15 "2013-11-09T23:18:58Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > In classical Latin, ‘c’ was always pronounced like ‘k’, so it’d be prin-kip-ia. In modern church Latin, ‘c’ is often pronounced like ‘ch’, so it could be ‘prin-chip-ia’. ‘prin-sip-ia’ is definitely wrong. Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/16 "2013-11-10T05:26:23Z")
So how did Russell and Whitehead pronounce their _Principia_ ? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/17 "2013-11-10T05:52:48Z")
> [@Tante\_Dillie](#): > > Seconded. Interesting. The other thread seemed to conclude that “Prin-chip-ia” was the worst of all worlds. Personally, I’m in the “prin-KIP-ia” or “prin-SIP-ia” camp. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/18 "2013-11-10T18:49:38Z")
During my days in philosophy it was always pronounced ‘prinkipia’ ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/19 "2013-11-10T21:33:29Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I don’t know about that. We can accept that term as having become part of the English language and properly apply English pronunciation rules to it. I see no reason, certainly in informal speech, to adhere to Latin pronunciation rules. I agree. I cannot ever pronounce it that way because while ‘prin-si-pia’ sounds lofty and intellectual (like ‘principle’) ‘Prinkipia’ sounds like some kind of magical fairy land filled will pink unicorns or something, just south of Narnia… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513/20 "2013-11-10T22:43:24Z")
I’ve been told it’s “Prin-kip-pee-ah” and any other pronunciation is for 'tards. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-principia/673513.md?page=2)