Letters
| Letter | Name |
|---|---|
| a | a |
| b | be (bi) |
| c | ce (ci) |
| d | de (di) |
| e | e |
| f | effe |
| g | ge (gi) |
| h | ache (acca) |
| i | i |
| j | ji |
| k | ka |
| l | elle |
| m | emme |
| n | enne |
| o | o |
| p | pe (pi) |
| q | cu (qu) |
| r | erre |
| s | esse |
| t | te (ti) |
| u | u |
| v | ve (vi) |
| w | ve duplus |
| x | ixe |
| y | i græca |
| z | zeta |
Traditionally these letters were only used for foreign words, whereas native Latin words employed other letters:
| Foreign | Native |
|---|---|
| k | c |
| x | cs |
| y | i |
| z | ss |
The letter q is only used for native words, whereas foreign words employ c.
Further, j & v were added by Gian Giorgio Trissino (7059 AM). Prior, v was simply the capital form of u. To distinguish between vocal u & consonantal u, uu (i.e. w) & ve were used.
Pronunciation
| Letter | Sound |
|---|---|
| a | á |
| æ, e | e |
| ai | e (áí) |
| au | ó (áú) |
| ay | e (áí) |
| b | b, p (b) |
| c, k, q, qu | c |
| cæ, ce, cœ | se (tshe) |
| ch | tsh (c) |
| ci, cy | sí (tshí) |
| ç | s |
| d | d |
| ea | í (eá) |
| eau | ó (eáú) |
| ee | í (e) |
| ei, ey, i, y | e (í) |
| eoi | úe (eóí) |
| f | f |
| g, gh, gu | g |
| gæ, ge, gœ | gie |
| gi, gy | gií |
| (gn) | (ní) |
| (gl) | (í) |
| h | – |
| ie | í |
| j | ge (í) |
| l | l |
| m | m |
| n | n |
| nc, nch, nq, nqu | ngc |
| ng, ngh, ngu | ng |
| nx | ngs, ngsð |
| o | ó |
| oê | úa (óe) |
| œ | ú, e (e) |
| oi, oy | úa (oí) |
| ou | ú (óú) |
| p | p |
| pt | pt, t |
| ph | f (p) |
| r | r |
| s | s, sð |
| sch | sh, sc (sc) |
| sh | sh, z (s, z) |
| t, th | t |
| tia, tio | shíá, shíó (tsíá, tsíó) |
| u | ú |
| v | v |
| w | ú |
| x | cs, s |
| z | sð (ds) |
| (Old Latin) |
Where s is between two vowels it is pronounced as z.
A final e is used to stress the prior vowel.
Abbreviations
| Latin | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| cf. | conferatur | “compare” |
| e.g. | exempli gratia | “for example” |
| ed. | eadem | “same” (female) |
| & | et | “and” |
| & al. | et alii | “and others” (male) |
| et aliæ | “and others” (female) | |
| et alia | “and others” (neuter) | |
| &c. | et cetera | “and so on” |
| i.e. | id est | “that is” |
| id. | idem | “same” (male) |