The Open University Choir
A short guide to Latin pronunciation (Italianate)
This crib is intended to help singers with Italianate Latin pronunciation using the words of the Mass/Requiem. For notes on Germanic Latin, particularly how it differs from Italianate pronunciation, see Bill’s note, last circulated under Resources on the website for the Autumn 2012 concert.
General rules are:
- C is pronounced ch when it comes before e, i or oe, as in coeli (chaylee, hard ch) or suscipe (suchipe, soft ch). Otherwise it is a hard ‘k’
- G is soft as in ‘general’when it comes before e or i; before n(e.g. magnam) it is pronounced as a ‘y’ after the ‘n’ (man-yam), like in ‘onion’ or ‘señor’
- T is pronounced ts in the formation TI + vowel (e.g. etiam)
- I is pronounced as in English e.g. ‘sit’ in voluntatis, coelestis, Patris, tollis and finis (here the first ‘i’ is long and the second short), while other -is words (principally nobis and excelsis) are pronounced with a long ‘i’. All -is words are included below. This issue is also covered in Bill’s note on German Latin
- Words beginning with U should be pronounced ‘oo’, not ‘yoo’
- J is pronounced as a ‘y’
Other notes on the list below:
- ‘Ah’ and ‘ay’ in the attempts at phonetics below are merely intended to denote long vowels. The consonant should not be pronounced. ‘Ah’ should not allow the vowel to fall backward in the mouth – it’s ‘a’ as in ‘far’ – and ‘ay’ should not end with an ‘ee’ sound.
- Similarly, the use of ‘ss’ is merely intended to show that it’s ‘s’ as in ‘pots’ rather than as in ‘boys’. Please do not hiss!
MovementWordPronunciation
Gloriapaxas you’d expect, but do not close on the ‘a’
bonaebonnay
voluntatisvoluntahtiss
benedicimusbenedeechimus (hard ch)
gratiasgrahtsias
agimussoft g
magnamman-yam
coelestischaylestiss (hard ch)
filifeelee
unigenite‘oo’ and soft g
agnusah-nyus
Patrispahtriss
tollistolliss
nobisno-beess
suscipesuchipe (soft ch)
deprecationemdayprecahtsionem
Credocoelichaylee (hard ch)
terraeterray
unigenitum‘oo’ and soft g
saeculasaycoola
consubstantialemconsubstantsiahlem
descenditdayschendit (soft ch)
crucifixuscroochifixus (hard ch)
etiametsiam
PontioPontsio
tertiatertsia
ascenditaschendit (soft ch)
regniray-nyi
finisfeeniss
proceditprochaydit (hard ch)
catholicamcatolicam
SanctusSabaothSa-ba-ot (no ‘y’ before the ot)
excelsisour convention is eggshellsees (no ‘r’ after Hosanna!)
Agnus Deiagnus & tollisas above
nobisnobeess as above
pacempahchem (hard ch)
Additional words in Cherubini’s Requiem
Introit/Kyrieaeternamayternahm
eisayeess (no ‘r’ between dona and eis!)
luceatloochayat
SionZeeon
omnisomniss
venietvaynee-et
Gradualeauditioneowditsione
timebitteemaybit
Dies IraeDavidDahvid
spargenssoft g
regionumsoft g
thronumtrow-num
54morsmorz
resurgetsoft g
creaturacray-a-tura
liberleeber
judiceturyoodichaytur
sedebitsedaybit
94misermeezer
tremendaetremenday
majestatismayestahtiss
pietatispeeaytahtiss
148quaerensquayrens
ultionisul-tsee-o-niss
remissionisremissee-o-niss
rationisra-tsee-o-niss
180ingemiscosoft g
precesprechez
211dignaedeenyay
benignebeneenyay
cremercraymer
igneeenyay
222praestapraysta
hoedishaydeess
232confutatisconfootahtiss
maledictismahlaydicteess
flammisflammeess
addictisaddictiss
benedictisbenedicteess
268acclinisaccleeniss
contritumcontreetum
quasiqua-zee
cinischeeniss
homohowmow (both to rhyme with ‘mow’)
Offertoriumgloriaegloreeay
poenispayneess
lacularcoo
leonislayowniss (‘ow’ to rhyme with ‘mow’)
55signifersinyifer
MichaelMickae-el
78AbrahaeAbrahay
263laudislaudiss
illisilleess
faciemusfacheeaymus (hard ch)
Agnus Deisanctissankteess
tuistooeess
Michael Street with Bill Strang
April 2014
UpdatedSeptember 2015