View Message

[Facts] Cassius
Which pronunciation is the original - KASH-us or KAS-ee-us?
vote up1vote down

Replies

KAS-EE-US would be the "original," I think. In classical Latin you would pronounce all the different vowels. At least that's how I learned it... but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

This message was edited 7/27/2006, 12:26 PM

vote up1vote down
Which one??I just want to know out of the two, which is the oldest or original pronounciation?
vote up1vote down
KASS-ee-usOriginally, that is a Latin name from antiquity. (Look here for a list of Romans named Cassius: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassius_%28gens%29)It got contracted to KASH-us in English only later.*****
vote up1vote down
I've never heard it pronounced KASH-us except by Mohammed Ali; perhaps this is usual in American, but not in British/Commonwealth English.
vote up1vote down
HereThis is what the OED has to say:Entry copied from Oxford English Dictionary Online
Copyright © Oxford University Press 2006Cassius SECOND EDITION 1989 (kæsІƏs) Name of a German physician of 17th c.; whence purple of Cassius, a splendid purple pigment: see quot. c1865 J. WYLDE in Circ. Sc. I. 373/2 The purple powder, produced by precipitating a solution of chloride of gold by means of the chloride of tin, is employed for the purpose of colouring China ware. It is termed in the arts, the ‘purple powder of Cassius’. 1869 ROSCOE Elem. Chem. 252 A splendid purple colour called purple of cassius.
Now to break down the pronuciation of 'kæsІƏs' using the pronunciation guide: k ... keep, card
æ ... pat
s ... see,
ІƏ ... peer
s ... see, So I'm guessing that KAS-ee-us is probably the older, and from what I can remember from my latin lessons at school it would also have been the original pronunciation (though that was over four years ago and I am rusty).Hope that helps :)
~Louise x
~*~Top Names~*~
Charles Frederick & Isabel Primrose

This message was edited 7/26/2006, 1:13 PM

vote up1vote down
Thanks guys!!
vote up1vote down
It's pronounced "CASH-us".
(c)byKate
{"Pro Rege Et Grege"}
vote up1vote down
KAS-ee-us!
vote up1vote down