Classical compound: Encyclopedia II - Classical compound - Formation spelling and pronunciation

Classical compound - Formation spelling and pronunciation

These words are compounds formed from Latin and Greek root words. Greek words are almost invariably Latinized (see transliteration of Greek into English). In English:

• Greek αι becomes e, or sometimes æ or ae in British English.
• Greek groups with γ plus a stop consonant such as γγ or γκ become ng and nc respectively.
• Greek ει often becomes i (occasionally it is retained as ei).
• Greek κ becomes c, and in English pronunciation is subject to palatization.
• Greek ῥ (rho with spiritus asper) becomes rh.
• Greek θ becomes th.
• Greek φ becomes ph.
• Greek ψ becomes ps.
• Greek χ becomes ch.
• Greek υ becomes y.
• Greek ου becomes u.
• Greek ω becomes o.
• Greek rough breathing becomes h-.

Thus, for example, Greek σφιγξ becomes English (and Latin) sphinx. Exceptions to these Latinizing rules occur, such as leukemia (leukaemia); compare leukocyte, also leucocyte. In Latin, and in the target languages, the Greek vowels are given their classical values rather than their contemporary values in demotic Greek.

Greek words often contain consonant clusters which are foreign to the phonology of contemporary English and other languages that incorporate these words into their lexicon: diphthong; pneumatology, phthisis. The typical response in English is to treat the unfamiliar cluster as containing one or more silent letters and suppress their pronunciation. This adds to the irregularities of English spelling; moreover, since many of these words are encountered in writing more often than they are heard spoken, it introduces uncertainty as to how to pronounce them when encountered.

Classical compounds frequently vary their stressed syllable when suffixes are added: ágriculture, agricúltural. This also gives rise to uncertainty when these words are encountered in print. Once a classical compound has been created and borrowed, it typically becomes the foundation of a whole series of related words: e.g. astrology, astrological, astrologer/astrologist, astrologism.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Formation spelling and pronunciation", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki