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!
Movement
Gloria
Word
pax
bonae
voluntatis
benedicimus
gratias
agimus
magnam
coelestis
fili
unigenite
agnus
Patris
tollis
nobis
suscipe
Pronunciation
as you’d expect, but do not close on the ‘a’
bonnay
voluntahtiss
benedeechimus (hard ch)
grahtsias
soft g
man-yam
chaylestiss (hard ch)
feelee
‘oo’ and soft g
ah-nyus
pahtriss
tolliss
no-beess
suchipe (soft ch)
Credo
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
deprecationem
coeli
terrae
unigenitum
saecula
consubstantialem
descendit
crucifixus
etiam
Pontio
tertia
ascendit
regni
finis
procedit
catholicam
Sabaoth
excelsis
agnus & tollis
nobis
pacem
dayprecahtsionem
chaylee (hard ch)
terray
‘oo’ and soft g
saycoola
consubstantsiahlem
dayschendit (soft ch)
croochifixus (hard ch)
etsiam
Pontsio
tertsia
aschendit (soft ch)
ray-nyi
feeniss
prochaydit (hard ch)
catolicam
Sa-ba-ot (no ‘y’ before the ot)
our convention is eggshellsees (no ‘r’ after
Hosanna!)
as above
nobeess as above
pahchem (hard ch)
Additional words in Cherubini’s Requiem
Introit/Kyrie aeternam
eis
luceat
Sion
omnis
veniet
Graduale
auditione
timebit
Dies Irae
David
spargens
regionum
thronum
54
mors
resurget
creatura
liber
judicetur
sedebit
94
miser
tremendae
majestatis
pietatis
148
quaerens
ultionis
remissionis
ayternahm
ayeess (no ‘r’ between dona and eis!)
loochayat
Zeeon
omniss
vaynee-et
owditsione
teemaybit
Dahvid
soft g
soft g
trow-num
morz
soft g
cray-a-tura
leeber
yoodichaytur
sedaybit
meezer
tremenday
mayestahtiss
peeaytahtiss
quayrens
ul-tsee-o-niss
remissee-o-niss
rationis
180
ingemisco
preces
211
dignae
benigne
cremer
igne
222
praesta
hoedis
232
confutatis
maledictis
flammis
addictis
benedictis
268
acclinis
contritum
quasi
cinis
homo
Offertorium gloriae
poenis
lacu
leonis
55
signifer
Michael
78
Abrahae
263
laudis
illis
faciemus
Agnus Dei
sanctis
tuis
Michael Street with Bill Strang
April 2014
Updated September 2015
ra-tsee-o-niss
soft g
prechez
deenyay
beneenyay
craymer
eenyay
praysta
haydeess
confootahtiss
mahlaydicteess
flammeess
addictiss
benedicteess
accleeniss
contreetum
qua-zee
cheeniss
howmow (both to rhyme with ‘mow’)
gloreeay
payneess
larcoo
layowniss (‘ow’ to rhyme with ‘mow’)
sinyifer
Mickae-el
Abrahay
laudiss
illeess
facheeaymus (hard ch)
sankteess
tooeess