Did your pronunciation of certain words change after watching the movies?

Like, I would pronounce 'Patronum' as 'PAT-ro-num', not 'pa-TRO-num' from the movie. Or 'Erised' was 'e-RIS-ed', not 'ER-is-ed'

Did this happen to any of you. too?

 

Given that most of the spells are based loosely on Latin, I tend to disregard the movies, even could somehow be accurate, and go with the Latin rules of pronunciation.

 

Yay Logic!

 

What are the latin rules of pronunciation?

 

Hard vowels I believe. O like Go. A like Far and Car if I remember right. U like Goo. E is more of an A like May. and I is more of an E sound, like Bruce Lee.

Or thats how I learned it anyway.

 

So japanese style, at least the way you described it. That's how I pronounce the spells because that's the only other language I have experience with.

 

I just made up my own pronunciations, which I suppose it what everyone does. Once I start using it though, it sticks... even if I find out later that it's pronounced differently. For example: I couldn't figure out how to pronounce Hermione's name until JKR told us... but at that point I was so used to completely ignoring her name that I continued to do so... what? It's not like you need to be able to say a word to understand its meaning .

 

Here are the latin rules of pronunciation:

'a' is never hard, like in 'bait', but soft as in 'bat';
'e' is always like 'hey';
'i' as a vowel is always long and rounded as in 'beet';
'o' is sometimes long, as in 'dominus' (doh-mee-noos), and sometimes soft as in 'oppugno' (aw-pung-noh);
'u' is always long and rounded as in 'boot'.

'b' is like the English 'b'.
'c' is always hard, like 'cat', never like 'cello'.
'd' is like the English 'd'.
'f' is like the English 'f'.
'g' is always hard like 'gate', never like 'geronimo'.
'h' is always aspirated (ie, pronounced) like 'hotel', never like 'heir'.
'i' sometimes acts as a consonant, as in 'ieiuna' (hungry); it sounds like the English 'y'.
'j' is like the English 'y': always like 'yellow', not as in 'jello'.
'k' is like the English 'k'.
'l' is like the English 'l'.
'm' is like the English 'm'.
'n' is like the English 'n'.
'p' is not aspirated, so you never see a 'ph' blend; otherwise it is like the English 'p'
'q' is like the English 'q' and must be proceeded by a 'u'.
'r' is like a Scottish 'r': an alveolar retroflex roll.
's' is like the English 'z': never soft like 'soft', always hard like 'azure'
't' is always pronounced: like 'take', not 'depot'.
'v' is pronounced as the English 'w'--> take note! This is a big one!
'w' is not generally found in Latin in my experience.
'x' is pronounced like the English 'x'.
'y' is rarely present in Latin in my experience.
'z' is like the English 'z'.

Common Blends:
'ae' is pronounced as 'aye' as in 'buy', so 'caelum' (heavens) is 'KAYE-loom'
'ei' is pronounced like the sum of its parts, so Dei (of God) is 'day-ee'
'au' is pronounced like a rounded 'ow', so 'audi!' (listen!) is 'auw-dee'
'ea' and 'eo' are pronounced like the sum of their parts, so 'eam' (her) is 'ey-am' and 'eos' (him) is 'ey-oss'

Double letters are pronounced seperately, so 'ecce!' (look!) is 'ehk-kay!'

When the word is two syllables long in Latin, the first syllable is accentuated.
When the word is three or more:
a) if the second-last syllable is long, it is accentuated.
b) if the second-last syllable is short, the one before it is accentuated.

So: Expecto Patronum becomes 'EX-pehc-toh Pah-TRO-noom' (I wait for father).

Harry's 'ahk-key-oh' Accio in movie four, though lame sounding, is correct.

Erised is an anomaly because it is not Latin.

 

The movies are completely retarded. I kept nothing save the extra large popcorn bucket, with with I could get a refill.

Ta muchly for the detailed explanation. I should learn Latin. And the translation of 'Expecto Patronum' is particularly interesting.

 

Ah. That's interesting. Rob's list matches the pronunciation I've been taught, except Accio / Ecce ...

I learned to speak a single 'k'. Instead the vowel before the double letter has to be short.

I know that the pronunciation varies slightly from country to country. The Italians I know often use a 'soft' c like cello or the G in George ... It's funny if you're not used to it. Cicero sounds like 'Gigero'. I assume their pronunciation of Latin is based on modern Italian.

'Expecto Patronum' shouldn't be translated with 'I expect the father'. A patronus is a patron, a protector.

EDIT:
Here is a link to a map of the Roman Empire. It's part of an online-game I played until last year. It requires flash. If you move the mouse over the Latin names of the provincia, they are spoken by an Italian.
http://www.fabii.it/GAZETTEER/GAZETTEER.htm

 

I didn't change my pronounciation, however I was horrified at how they said the spells in the movie :S

 

As a matter of interest, both patronus and patrem come from the same root: patr-, which is generally taken in the sense of 'father', 'sire', or 'guardian', as I've been taught. Literally, it is protector, you're right, but I also feel that JKR, who has studied Classical Languages would be laughing a bit at the root of that.

 

Yeah, might be one of her jokes to mess with the words. And then think of Tonk's patronus ...

Btw - I just tried to translate "Priori Incantatem", but it seems to be grammatically wrong. "Priori" is dative (ablative would be priore) and "Incantatem" is accusative. Does it make sense or is it a fault?

 

It's not a mistake, but it's an interesting translation. Priori Incantatem, I think, is short for something to the effect of Ostendo priori incantatem, in which case, it would be something to the effect of 'I show the incantation of the past' or similar. I'm pretty sure 'priori incantatem' as it is is intended to be a contracted version of a longer spell.