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This is what the OED has to say:

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Entry copied from Oxford English Dictionary Online
Copyright © Oxford University Press 2006

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Cassius SECOND EDITION 1989

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(kæsІƏs)

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Name of a German physician of 17th c.; whence purple of Cassius, a splendid purple pigment: see quot.

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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.

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Now to break down the pronuciation of 'kæsІƏs' using the pronunciation guide:

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k ... keep, card
æ ... pat
s ... see,
ІƏ ... peer
s ... see,

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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).

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Hope that helps :)

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~Louise x
~*~Top Names~*~
Charles Frederick & Isabel Primrose

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