Latinists: How do you pronounce "Principia"?

[jimpatro]

Forgot to mention that they even go so far as to abbreviate it as ect.
Do they really think that etc. has been wrong for all these years?

[Ignatz]

My Latin teacher taught us “k”. and Wayney, Weedy, Weeky, but not et ketera. There must have been exkeptions to the rule. And I remember that we/they said “plakidam” for the Massachusetts motto, *Ense petite placidam sub libertate quietem *.

[Johnny_L.A]

@Ignatz

Wayney, Weedy, Weeky

Wee Willie Winkie

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

It’s a K sound in Classical Latin. It’s a “Ch” sound in Church Latin. It’s an “S” sound in Modern English.

I would use either the Classical pronunciation or the Modern English. The Italianate pronuciation doesn’t really make sense either as a classical reference or as a modern update. It falls in between.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

@CJJ*

Hard /k/ is always the way I’ve heard it. But I’m always amused at how much argument there is over Latin pronunciation, particularly for terms that have been appropriated wholly into English from Latin. Does anyone here, for example, have a problem pronouncing et cetera as if the c were s?

In short, appealing to Latin pronunciation standards is irrelevant here, since like et cetera the title of Newton’s work has been pretty much absorbed into English.

I agree. People also don’t generally make an issue of hearing Caesar pronounced as “Seez-ar” instead of “Ky-sar” or Cicero pronounced as “Siss-er-o” instead of “Keek-a-ro.” There are a lot of common English pronuciations that are technically “wrong” in terms of Classical pronunciation, so i wouldn’t have an issue with anyone saying “prin-SIP-ee-a” instead of “prin-KIP-ee-a.” I do think that “prin-CHIP-ee-a” would kind of miss on both ends, though. If you’re going to go technical, at least hit the right era.

[Indistinguishable]

@Indistinguishable

I’m having difficult remembering just who it is I knew who did this, but definitely some erudite figure of my acquaintance pronounced it as an /h/; “prin-hip-ee-yuh”.

Oh, but incidentally, this was in reference to the Russell and Whitehead work, not the Newton one, if it would make any difference, for some reason, as to the appropriate pronunciation to use.

[liouvillian]

@Polycarp

Caesar would have said PrinKipia. (Here and below the midword capital letter renders the sound of the “c” at that point.)

If you’re discussing Newton with the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, or singing Handel’s long-lost musical setting of Newton’s Principia, use the Church Latin PrinCHipia.

But in normal English conversation, the title has been more or less assimilated, and would follow English-language pronunciation rules and say PrinSipia, just like Latin PrinKipalis has become English prinbSipal.

Haha wait–is the “Handel’s long-lost musical setting of Newton’s Principia” a joke!!! Because you got me seriously excited about the thought of something so awesome! :o

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

Polycarp passed away nearly two years ago (may he rest in peace), so I’m afraid you won’t be getting an answer. sniffle

[Strainger]

And also, yes, he was making a joke.

To answer the seven year old OP, I’d pronounce it with a ‘ch’ sound because I’m used to speaking (singing, actually) church Latin, and that’s how church Latin works. However, I do recognize that church Latin reflects an assibilation of the original ‘k’ sound, so if I were instructed to pronounce it with a ‘k’ sound, I’d be fine with that.

[Onomatopoeia]

prin-KIP-ee-a

[Amateur_Barbarian]

@Onomatopoeia

prin-KIP-ee-a

ZOM-bee.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

@Onomatopoeia

prin-KIP-ee-a

Given the user name, I’d say this makes it definitive.

[BigT]

Shouldn’t the fact that it was written in the 17th century mean we should use New Latin? Newton was English, and English New Latin used /s/ for C before I or E.

I mean, I’ve heard people say prin-KIP-pee-uh, but that seems to be assuming an earlier version of Latin. At least prin-CHIP-pee-uh is the right era, if the wrong area.