Almost all of the extraterrestrial “moons” (natural satellites) of our Solar System have Greek names. The only exception I know of is Janus, a Latin minor deity with no Greek counterpart.
So, how are they to be pronounced? With Ancient Greek pronunciation or with Modern Greek pronunciation? Or with some Anglicisation in some cases?
Most of the Greek mythological figures’ names have traditional pronunciations in English, usually quite different from either ancient Greek or modern Greek pronunciation. Those are the pronunciations you use when you’re speaking English.
As I would. I know that there is more than one way that classical Latin is pronounced. One is a conjectured reconstruction of ancient pronunciation, and one is based on Italian. When I took Latin in school I was taught the reconstructionist pronunciation. I understand that the Catholic Church prefers the Italian version.
E.g. Veni Vidi Vici
Reconstructionist:
“Wenny Weedy Wikky”.
Italian:
“Venny Veedy Veechy”
Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, may be pronounced with either an initial K or SH sound. The discoverer wanted to name it after his wife, Charlene, but was convinced to use a classical name, instead.
The classical name does begin with a K sound, but many pronunciation guides for the name of the moon suggest an SH sound.
By the way, the moons of Uranus (Puck, Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon) are also exceptions.
Yes! Yesterday evening I reflected that I took care to exclude our own moon by saying “extraterrestrial” and I also took care to mention Janus as an exception, but I left off mentioning the unique situation of Uranus. :smack: The whole subject has been one of intense interest to me since late in the first decade of my life, or very early in the second decade, so it’s definitely memory freeze.
- Jack
Out of curiosity, is there a particular reason that the Shakespearean names were selected for Uranian satellites?
According to the link you quoted the reasoning was that the namer felt the moons would be appropriate to name after spirits of the air.
If you follow the link in the cite in the article above, you can see it in his own words…
They’re named for “fairy mythology” - though not all of them were Shakespeare - some were Pope.
(Isn’t the web wonderful? Astronomical journal articles from the 19th century? No problem!)
Technically, Charon should begin with neither a /k/ nor a /tƒ/ but a /X/, but those who fight such battles have long since retired to the chutzpah of celebrating Chanukah on the banks of Loch Ness.
Heh… true. But if I’d said that, someone out there would be prounouncing it Zaron…