# Latin & mythology: why Jupiter/Jovis? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2000, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-mythology-why-jupiter-jovis/34990 "2000-09-29T13:31:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-mythology-why-jupiter-jovis/34990/41 "2011-02-07T21:26:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > While we’re at it, an aspirated P isn’t like a F; it’s like a P with an aspiration after it. The association between phi and f is fairly recent (at least, more recent than classical times). TizzonelA’s examples suggest he/she had Irish phonology in mind. The word “aspiration” is commonly (if inaccurately) used to refer to lenition of consonants in Irish. A word beginning with [p], when “aspirated”, becomes “ph-”, pronounced [f]. [Edited to add:] or, exactly what Dr Drake posted an hour ago. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-mythology-why-jupiter-jovis/34990/42 "2011-02-07T21:36:53Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > I can see “Deus” and “Dio” in there… that is, God. Which is kinda cool. And “Theos”. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-mythology-why-jupiter-jovis/34990/43 "2011-02-07T22:03:08Z")
doesn’t matter ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-mythology-why-jupiter-jovis/34990/44 "2011-02-07T22:46:46Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I know this is a zombie, but what the hell, I might as well chime in that _Zeus_ in Greek is prounounced as ZDAY-oos. In Classical Greek, zeta is a diagraph pronounced as a -zd- sound (like the middle consonant sound made in “Mazda”). So the path from Zeus to Dios isn’t really that far. It just elides the leading -z- sound. I’m not challenging this, Dio, but I’d love to have a link or other reference to learn more about this, as it’s something I’ve never encountered in years of reading up on classical Greek phono0logy. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-mythology-why-jupiter-jovis/34990/45 "2011-02-07T22:47:51Z")
The cool kids pronounce zeta as ds, as I learned it, but now I also here people say sd, so I guess no one really knows to pronounce Ancient Greek ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-mythology-why-jupiter-jovis/34990/46 "2011-02-07T22:56:11Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > I’m not challenging this, Dio, but I’d love to have a link or other reference to learn more about this, as it’s something I’ve never encountered in years of reading up on classical Greek phono0logy. I learned it from my college Attic Greek classes. It was the latest “reconstruction” at the time, and it may have changed. I see [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeta#Arguments_for_.5Bzd.5D) has some material on it, but says it’s disputed. In my university courses, we had to say “zd,” though. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-mythology-why-jupiter-jovis/34990/47 "2011-02-08T02:35:56Z")
> [@](#): > > In the tale of the Exodus the Hebrews fashion a bull calf when their collective ADHD makes them forget God parting the waters the week before. They didn’t forget Yahweh parting the waters: The Golden Calf was meant as a representation of Yahweh. What they had forgotten was that any depiction of Yahweh, even a flattering one, was forbidden. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-mythology-why-jupiter-jovis/34990.md?page=2)