MovieChat Forums > Quo Vadis (1951) Discussion > Pronunciation of Lygia

Pronunciation of Lygia

posted 14 years ago by micaofboca-1
5 replies | jump to latest

Even were it to be spelled Ligia, rather than Lygia, the constant mispronunciation of that ancient name provided an unending source of irritation considering that virtually all of the actors seemed to announce her name every time they addressed her. Readings of Edgar Allen Poe's The Tomb of Ligeia will always show that the proper way of pronouncing that name would be Lye' - Gee-uh with the accent on the Gee". To pronounce it Lidgia (Lidge'(ee-uh) with the accent on the Lidge just sounds like a dopey American mispronunciation. After hearing it over and over again constantly is awful. It's like pronouncing Medici Med-EE'-CHEE instead of the correct Med'-a-chee. I saw a History channel show that switched off from correct to the incorrect way of pronouncing it and it was hilarious but annoying after the first 20 times..

[–] Jamal-Nazreddin 11 years ago

^
You use the words 'dopey American'.

Those words came to mind whenever I hear Mr Taylor's ugly rasping voice compared to all the well-modulated tones of the English actors.

[–] cwente2 11 years ago

We apologize.

A "dopey American"

[–] Jamal-Nazreddin 11 years ago

^

If only Gregory Peck got the role! His voice is pleasant compared to the older man who got the role and frankly spoiled the whole movie for me.

[–] momurr43 8 years ago

How To Pronounce.com is a website you should visit.

Since Henryk Sienkiewicz [hen-REEK tshen-kih-VEEK], the author of "Quo Vadis" [in Latin koo WAAD-ees, in Italian kwoo VAAD-ees or koo vad-IS], was Polish it's interesting to hear the two Polish pronunciations of 'Lygia'. Either lig-ay-AH or lee-JAH.

'Ligia' is pronounced LEE-gee-ah in Latin. In Italian it's pronounced either LEE-jee-ah or lee-JAH.

'Ligeia' is pronounced LIG-ay-ah in Latin, but lij-ay-YAH in Italian.

('Medici' in Italian is pronounced either med-ih-TSHEE or MEED-ih-tshee. In Latin it would be pronounced MED-ih-kee.)

Take some of the other names in QV:

•Nero [NEER-oo]: In Latin NAYR-oh, in Italian NAYR-oh or NAYR-uh.

•Petronius [pet-ROON-ee-us]: In Latin PET-roon-ee-uus, in Italian pet-ROON-ee-uus or pee-troon-ee-OS.

•Poppaea [pop-EE-a]: In Latin POO-pii-ah, in Italian poo-PII-yah.

•Tigellinus [tij-el-IIN-us]: In Latin TIG-el-een-uus, in Italian TIJ-EL-een-uus.

•Acte [AK-tay]: In Latin AK-teh, in Italian AK-teh or AAK-tay.

•Marcus Vinicius [MARK-us vin-IK-EE-us]: 'Marcus' in Latin is MAAR-kuus, in Italian MAAR-kuus or mar-KOS. 'Vinicius' in Latin is WIN-ik-ee-uus. In Italian it's vin-EEK-uus or vin-EE-tshus, or even VIN-EE-shu-vus.

'Lygia' is far from unique. Most of the names in QV - and,in fact, in all other English-speaking Roman films and plays - are not pronounced in their original Latin form.

(But it needs to be said that 'original' Latin pronunciation is a fairly recent modern construct, and some of it is speculative and controversial. Even the reconstructionists had to admit that the language changed and developed over time. And just as in any modern language, Latin pronunciation may never at any one time have been the consistent unvarying orthodoxy that the reconstructionists attempted to create.)

Should we insist in all cases on the original pronunciation of Latin words? (That is, where the original pronunciation can be determined with reasonable certainty.) If we do, then 'Caesar' [SEE-zar] will have to be pronounced more like the German 'Kaiser' [KII-zah], which is derived from it. In Latin it's pronounced KII-zar. (In Italian it's pronounced either KII-zar or seez-ARR.) And 'Julius' [JUUL-ee-us] will have to be pronounced YUUL-ee-uus, as it is in both Latin and Italian.

[–] 8 years ago

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