How do you pronounce Praetorium?

I know it's a random question but I've been having an elongated argument with how Praetorium is pronounced.

I've argued that Praetorium is pronounced PRAY-torium

While my friend continues to argue it is pronounced PRY-torium.


Thank you

To google we go.

...
first link.

"pray-TAWR-ih-uhm"

Another link:
"pray-TOR-ee-uhm"

Point is it starts with 'pray', not pry.

I've always pronounced it as PRYAYtorium in my head so basically a mix of how you and your friend pronounce it xD. Not sure how it's actually pronounced.

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Originally Posted by Alaylia

I know it's a random question but I've been having an elongated argument with how Praetorium is pronounced.

I've argued that Praetorium is pronounced PRAY-torium

While my friend continues to argue it is pronounced PRY-torium.


Thank you

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That difference is a typical variance for a lot of words. A vowel gets a little under appreciated, next thing you know people are saying it differently. Pronunciation is an oral tradition.

If you're using the Latin pronunciation, it would be PRY-torium.

The same way that the Romans pronounced Caeser as KYE-ser, not SEE-ser.

"Praetorium", which can also be spelled pretorium, is an actual Latin word, referring to the general's lodging in a Roman castrum. It's even featured in the Bible, depending on your translation. Your pronunciation is correct in American English. Your friend's pronunciation is incorrect in both American English and Latin. The two pronunciation options for "praetorium" are PRAY and PRE. "Pre" is technically more correct, but who's splitting hairs?

It's spelled "Praetorium" but it's pronounced "Throatwobbler Mangrove".

It was never said aloud in game? I always say pray-tor-ree-yum. Though if someone can wrangle Koji Fox he could clear it up. Wherever he is. (pls visit us again)

Pray-Return-to-Wake-ing-Sands-ium

I've been pronouncing it as "Pray-Tor-E-Um"

I automatically read it as "pray" but figured it should probably be "pre" since that's what the ae/æ double-letter does, e.g. encyclopaedia and encyclopedia are pronounced the same.

"Pray-ends-fast-dear-god"

æ is a weird/fun one.


In Latin, its pronounced as an I.

In Queens English, its pronounced as an A (in trap, hat, bask)

In North American English (Canadian and American specifically), it gets weird, because both the A and the E can be æ sequences (thanks, language), and its almost always pronounced as an E , if the e or æ come before a consonant sound (generally a double R or T) which is instantly followed by another vowel sound.

That even gets its own ær pronunciation guide, and will vary (that word being its own ær sequence!) in pronounciation by region, with some saying it as indistinguishable from very, and some giving it a harder a or ah.

I pronounce it "oh-dear-god-not-again"

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Originally Posted by Iscah

I automatically read it as "pray" but figured it should probably be "pre" since that's what the ae/æ double-letter does, e.g. encyclopaedia and encyclopedia are pronounced the same.

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This is due to one of several vowel shifts that has occurred in the history of English and not really reflective of how ae should be pronounced in a foreign word that hasn't been assimilated into standard English.


The pronunciation will depend on how far back you want to pull pronunciation rules from. Classical Latin? Probably prah-ay-toh-ree-yoom. Vulgar latin or Italian-Latin? Pray-toh-ree-yoom. Seventh Astral Era Garlean? Probably just pray-tory-um. The Scions would likely pronounce it closer to preh-tory-um or pruh-tory-um with a very quick first syllable, since most unstressed syllables in conversational English have their vowels reduced to schwas.

Just keep in mind that while a lot of Garlean names and terms are Latin-based, they're not typically pronounced with Latin pronounciations. More likely, the characters will pronounce them how a modern English speaker would pronounce them--"wrong".

And here I've been calling it "The long one".

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Originally Posted by Rongway

Seventh Astral Era Garlean? Probably just pray-tory-um. The Scions would likely pronounce it closer to preh-tory-um or pruh-tory-um with a very quick first syllable, since most unstressed syllables in conversational English have their vowels reduced to schwas.

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Yeah, that's more or less how I'm pronouncing it. Thanks for the explanation.

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Originally Posted by Doki

Pray-Return-to-Wake-ing-Sands-ium

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No... NNOOOOOO

Most players just after tomes doing this roulette, 'prae' they don't get this instance.

That outta clear it up for ya!

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Originally Posted by Iscah

I automatically read it as "pray" but figured it should probably be "pre" since that's what the ae/æ double-letter does, e.g. encyclopaedia and encyclopedia are pronounced the same.

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From what I learned about this vowel context (and this is just going off recollection and not looking anything up), is that one of the two vowels becomes silent, but assists the dominant vowel. In the case of Praetorium, they couldn't just take out the 'e' because then many would pronounce it 'Pruh-toh-ree-um'. If pronounced 'Pree-toh-ree-um', you could take out the 'a', and it would still retain the long 'e'.

I don't know if that is correct, but that is how I deduced that it is pronounced Pray, and not Pre.

As a German, I am familiar to the old way of writing ä as ae, so I pronounce it: Prä - to - ri - um
[prae - toh - reeh - oom]

As a medieval scholar, I took Latin (it was a requirement back in the old days when I did my Masters). I'm presuming I learned church Latin pronunciation as opposed to Classical (soft c as in a ch sound, not hard c, for example). But I was taught that 'praetorium' is pronounced 'PRY-tor-e-um' (emphasis on first syllable)

I pronounce the first part as PREY(basically the ei sound in Finnish), which is probably incorrect.

I say it the way Russell Crowe says praetorian in Gladiator, pruh-TORE-EE-um

https://youtu.be/k71x-TmobGo?t=84

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Originally Posted by StouterTaru

I say it the way Russell Crowe says praetorian in Gladiator, pruh-TORE-EE-um

https://youtu.be/k71x-TmobGo?t=84

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Well... I mean... that's a native New Zealander who lived in Australia most of his life, trying to sound Roman. So there's that. Crikey and so on. Heh!

I always pronounced it as Pray-torium only because I used google translate one time, and english to english was pronounced as such. XD

I pronounce it: NOOOOOO! as in I refuse to run it again. I'll skip the Moogle event and the mount I wanted if it means running this cutscene-fest one more time.

English

Prey - to (loud o, not o as like two, more like oh, but dont pronounce the y in it too long) - ree - uhm ( the uhm like boom but just without b) if you pronounce it like this, you should sound like the German version, or at least very similarly ^^

German

Prä (our umlaut for ae) - to- ri - um

So actually the way you pronounce Praetorium is: "AFK for 45 minutes"

Pray-toe-ree-yum.

"Netflix and Kill".

Pry TOR ee um

Latin inspired word, Latin pronunciation.

I've always pronounced it as "pre - matorium"

Not sure where I got the "ma" from. In fact it wasn't until looking at this thread that I realized it's a four-syllable word and not a five-syllable word.