Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-02-05
Wafrhnan & gunnaL.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1870.
Pronunciation Of the LatIn...Cui Bono

What gain is there 10 the student by train
ing him to any bu the pronunciation Of the
Latin language which, from time immemo-
rial, has, till within few years, prevailed
in the English schools and universities, and
in the American colleges, and which still
prevails in many of them All use of the
Latin in speech aud reading, outside of the
schools and colleges, has practiced that pro-
nunciation, and by that pronunciation alone,
Latin words, phrases, quotations and technics
are known when uttered in vocal speech. It
is agreed that what was the pronunciation
of the living Latin is unknown. That bay-
ing become dead language, it is practically
of no moment what the system of pronuncia-
tion now is, provided it be such that by
usage, the utterance enables those who hear
it to recognize at once the words. The
English system of pronouncing the Latin is
conformable in rule and use to the plain
analogies of the pronunciation of the Eng
lsh language Hence that system of pro-
nuuciation of the Latin is the most easily
acquired and used by the American learner
of the Latin. In that system the letters
composing the words of the Latin have the
same sounds, singly and in combination, as
in English words. But those letters, when
subjugated to other systems of pronouncing
the Latin, are uttered with sounds entirely
differing from the sounds expressing them
when used in the English language. To
acquire other systems of pronunciation the
student must tax himself with the task of
training his tongue and ear to the new and
strange utterance, and must train himself
to the habit of adopting and using the new
and strange sounds of the letters when he
turns from the English to the Latin to speak
or read. The hearers ears must also be
trained to the same thing, or what they hear
would be as unintelligible as chociaW.
A few years ago, at the commencement of
of one of our colleges, the Latin salutatory
was announced, and the young man opened
upon us flood of strange sounds bearing
no appreciable resemblance to what we had
known as spoken Latin for forty years. On
appealing to veteran scholar and teacher
of the Latin, who was sitting near he
averred with becoming disgust that it was
to him an unknown tongue. A year or two
afterwards, on the like occasion, the saiuta-
toridn uttered recognized and ineligible
Latin. And yet the uninteliigiJle was taught
to the classes, and the ineligible pronun-
citation was matter of special training of the
individual student for the occasion. Will
some wise and knowing man show what
benefit comes, or can come to anybody by
training the students to the unin'eHigibie pro-
nunciation To a plain man who is look
ing to the practical uses to be served by
new methods, nothing seems obvious, unless
it be to answer some scholarly conceit, or
professional whim, on the part of the Latin
teacher. In most cases the other members
of the faculty are not versed in the new sys.
tens, and adhere to, and use the old. Al
most all students look forward to practical
life outside of college halls, and in contact
and association with the moving, busy and
practical world. The use they have for
Latin in the professions, in the arts, in the
sciences, in official service, and in social in
tercourse, will require them to use it so that
it can be understood by those to whom they
utter it, and those will not be a class of
youths in the process of collegiate educa-
ton. If college students were always to
continue under their Latin teachers, or were
to have use for it only by uttering it to Latin
teachers, pronunciation ineligible only to
teachers and students would be as useful as
any. But when it is considered that stu
dents, on graduating, betake themselves to
other auditors than college professors, and
to various callings where only the Ineligible
utterance of the Latin prevails, and alone is
tolerated, it is plain that the new-fangled
pronunciation must be given up and the
old and common one must be used in its
stead.
1t is further to be remarked that many of
the students have fitted using the English
pronunciation. This they have to unlearn
with good deal of annoyance, and give
time and effort to learning the new pro-
nuncation, which they will have to lay
aside and unlearn after having left the col
lege, and resume and practice the old.
To the common apprehension this would
seem to be of questionable utility at least.
Many would think that the teacher, as we'll
as the taught, might be more usefully en-
ployed, both in time and mind. We pause