Oddly enough, we have a pretty good idea of how Latin was pronounced in the
early imperial period.  A large collection of poetry has survived.  Only one
set of pronunciation rules allows these lines to parse well.
Latin continued to be a living language until the high middle ages.  It
evolved into Church Latin and the romance languages.  The Church Latin of
the Renaissance was as different from Augustan Latin as our speech is from
Shakespeare's.

Allen A. Smith, Ph.D.
Barry University
School of Graduate Medical Sciences
    Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
Miami Shores, Florida  33161-6695 

-----Original Message-----
From: JHoffpa464@aol.com [mailto:JHoffpa464@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2003 8:23 AM
To: Andrew.Shand@north-bristol.swest.nhs.uk;
histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: In situ vs. in-situ?


sally, first off Latin does not change. it is considered a dead language. it
is not spoken by any endemic people anywhere. priests do not count, as an
endemic people.
grant when i learned Latin no one had or still had any clue as to how Latin
should be pronounced in old Rome. that does not change the point a language
can only evolve if it is spoken.
john