Pronunciation of Ecclesiastical or Church Latin
The ways in which the pronunciation of Ecclesiastical or Church Latin differs from the pronunciation of Classical Latin reflect the ways in which the pronunciation of Latin changed after the first century CE. It follows essentially the same spelling/pronunciation rules as those of modern Italian - not surprisingly, perhaps, as the church which continued to use Latin regularly until 1965 was the Roman Catholic Church, whose head is the Pope - who lives in the Vatican, inside Rome, the capital of Italy. This is the pronunciation always used when singing Latin, particularly in such religious works as settings of the Mass.
The pronunciation of Ecclesiastical Latin follows exceptionless rules and is straightforward. The rules are as follows:
Consonants
- c, when it comes before e, ae, oe, i or y, is pronounced like the 'ch' in 'charm': IPA: /tʃ/.
- cc, when it comes before e, ae, oe, i or y, is pronounced like 'tch': IPA: /tʃ/
- sc, when it comes before e, ae, oe, i or y, is pronounced like the 'sh' in 'shelter': IPA: /ʃ/
- g, when it comes before a, o, or u, is hard like the 'g' in 'gate' or 'gull': IPA: /g/
- gn is pronounced like 'ny' in the English 'can you', i.e., like the Italian or French 'gn': IPA: /nj/, ñ in Spanish
- j, followed by a vowel, is pronounced like the 'y' in 'yellow': IPA: /j/
- qu is pronounced, as it nearly always is in English, like 'kw': IPA: /kw/
- s has the sound of 's' in 'soft' or 'silly' - though when it comes between two vowels, it is closer to the sound of 'z', like the 's' in 'misery'.
- ti, when it comes before a vowel and follows any letter except s, x, or t, is pronounced 'tsee': IPA: /ts/
- th is pronounced like the English 't': IPA: /t/
- x is pronounced like 'ks': IPA: /ks/
- xc, when it comes before e, ae, oe, i, or y, is pronounced 'ksh': IPA: /kʃ/
The other consonants are pronounced as in English.
Vowels
- a, when short, is pronounced like the 'a' in 'sat': IPA: /a/
- a, when long, is pronounced like the 'a' in 'rather: IPA: /ɑː/
- e, when short, is pronounced like the 'e' in 'red': IPA: /ɛ/
- e, when long, is pronounced like the 'ay' in 'say': IPA: /e/
- i, when short, is pronounced like the 'i' in 'bin': IPA: /ɪ/
- i, when long, is pronounced like the 'ee' in 'reed': IPA: /iː/
- o, when short, is pronounced like the 'o' in 'mock': IPA: /ɔ/
- o, when long, is pronounced like the 'o' in 'phone': IPA: /o/
- u, when short, is pronounced like the 'u' in 'pull': IPA: /ʊ/
- u, when long is pronounced like the 'oo' in 'moon': IPA: /uː/
- y, which is always a vowel, is pronounced like 'i', i.e., like the 'ee' in 'keep': IPA: /iː/
- ae and oe are both pronounced like the 'ay' in 'say': IPA: /e/
In the other combinations of vowels (ai, au, ay, ei, eu, and ou) each vowel keeps its own sound, though the first vowel is usually more prominent than the second. See Diphthong, particularly at the end.
Accent
Ecclesiastical Latin is pronounced with a stress accent. If a word has two syllables, the accent is almost always on the first (as in 'regnum', 'dona', 'pater', 'panis'). If a word has more than two syllables, the accent is on the second syllable from the end if the syllable is long (as in 'perdona', 'regina', 'divinus'); if the syllable is short, the accent is on the third syllable from the end (as in 'loquitur', 'dominus', 'populus').
To illustrate the above rules here are some phrases commonly encountered in Ecclesiastical Latin with an indication of their correct pronunciation:
- gloria in excelsis Deo - 'GLOR-i-a in eks-CHEL-sees DAY-o' - glory be to God.
- descendit de coelis - 'day-SHEN-dit day CHAY-lees' - he came down from heaven.
- pax hominibus bonae voluntatis - 'paks hom-IN-ib-us BON-ay vol-un-TAHT-is' - peace to men of good will.
- exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum - 'eks-PEK-to re-surr-EKS-ee-ON-em mort-u-AWE-rum' - I hope for the resurrection of the dead.
