How should Latin be pronounced?
This depends on the context. Latin in current use tends to reflect the speech patterns of the speaker, so, for instance, the vowels of ‘English’ Latin will usually be different from those of ‘French’ or ‘German’ Latin, as will some consonants such as ‘c’, and the semi-consonants ‘u’ and ‘i’. Church Latin, Roman Catholic in particular, approximates to ‘Italian’ Latin; scientific terminology is perhaps more continental in style. A great deal is known about how the Romans themselves would have pronounce classical Latin but attempts to approximate to this when pronouncing Latin in a contemporary setting are misguided. This is strictly for the specialist. ‘English’ Latin has its own conventions and straying beyond these is for the pedant. This is particularly true for the pronunciation of ‘v’ which represented a ‘w’ sound to the ancient Romans but took on its present sound after the end of the classical period. Several generations of English schoolchildren were taught to read ‘v’ as ‘w’ but
