Help with Pronunciation of "Anathema"

[Technobuilder]

I'm hoping the Literature Forum Folk can back me up on this, but I could be wrong, so I ask in front of others just to be sure.

What are the accepted pronunciations (if there are more than just one) for the word "ANATHEMA"?

I've always heard it (uh-NATH-uh-ma), but a friend of mine says that it's also pronounced (an-na-THee-ma) and can be used interchangably.

I haven't been able to find any proof of this particular pronunciation of his online, but I haven't found anything that says that it's not possible either, so I come here and ask those who might know.

It's kind of turned into a pointless argument we have every once and awhile, but I'd like to know for certain one way or another rather than continuing to believe something when I might be mistaken.

 

[David Mack]

^ There's no polite way to put this: your friend is an idiot.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Audio link

 

[Trent Roman]

David Mack said:
^ There's no polite way to put this: your friend is an idiot.

Him and many others, it would seem, including myself. I don't recall hearing it pronounced another way than "Ah-na-thee-ma" (to sound like the Greek goddess, Athena), and Therin's link suggests something close, but with a shorter 'e' sound in the middle. I'll grant, however, that it's not a word that crops up in coversation all that often. Maybe regional variances are to blame; Technobuilder, is your friend local or does he originally hail from elsewhere?

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Julio Angel Ortiz]

Trent Roman said:

David Mack said:
^ There's no polite way to put this: your friend is an idiot.

Him and many others, it would seem, including myself. I don't recall hearing it pronounced another way than "Ah-na-thee-ma" (to sound like the Greek goddess, Athena), and Therin's link suggests something close, but with a shorter 'e' sound in the middle. I'll grant, however, that it's not a word that crops up in coversation all that often. Maybe regional variances are to blame; Technobuilder, is your friend local or does he originally hail from elsewhere?

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

I guess I'm an idiot too, because I always thought it was pronounced the incorrect way. I'll blame my schooling.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Awww, me am idiot to.

 

[Technobuilder]

^AFAIK, he grew up in Tennessee.

What about you Trent? Where do you come from?

At least that means he's not alone, if you've heard it that way too, but whether it's an alternate way to pronounce it or just someone getting it wrong and others picking it up through that mistake, I still can't say for certain.

Professional writer Mr. David Mack "The Knife" says my friend is an Idiot, and honestly I had a similar initial response almost 4 months ago. The discussion keeps getting brought up though and I'm tiring of it. So tonight I went looking for proof one way or the other.

Anyone else with anything to contribute, please do.

Side Note:

Currently Reading/Enjoying:
-ST:SCE - "Wildfire" by David Mack

I have a feeling (despite my attempting to avoid spoilers) that Mr. Mack's nickname will be well earned by the end of this particular adventure.

 

[Maestro]

It's a Latin word. Latin words are consistent with their accents. It's either one or the other; Both cannot be acceptable.

With Latin, unless otherwise indicated, the emphasis is on the first syllable. Anathama would be pronounced UH-nath-a-ma.

My wife, the cunning linguist, tells me that the word is undergoing a shift to become and English word, and thus its emphasis is shifting to fit English speech patterns. According to her, a-na-THEEEEEEEM-uh is becoming acceptable. I think she's an idiot. Especially since she just accused me of committing an "its/it's" error in this post. There is no such error.

 

[T'Bonz]

I pronounce it "uh-NATH-thi-ma" and that's how I've always heard it pronounced.

 

[Trent Roman]

Technobuilder said:
What about you Trent? Where do you come from?

Montréal, which was why I was thinking it might be dialectical. The heavy French influence here is such that even English words tend to be pushed towards more open vowels - for instance, the name 'Mary' being pronounced more like 'marry' rather than 'merry' - so I suspected the guttural 'uh' sounds might have similarly shifted closer to the front of the mouth. But if Maestro's wife says it's a Latinate word being assimilated to English speaking patterns, then that's good enough for me. And I'm probably just going to keep pronouncing it as I read it, which makes me obstinate as well as an idiot, I guess.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Julio Angel Ortiz]

Maestro said:
It's a Latin word. Latin words are consistent with their accents. It's either one or the other; Both cannot be acceptable.

With Latin, unless otherwise indicated, the emphasis is on the first syllable. Anathama would be pronounced UH-nath-a-ma.

My wife, the cunning linguist, tells me that the word is undergoing a shift to become and English word, and thus its emphasis is shifting to fit English speech patterns. According to her, a-na-THEEEEEEEM-uh is becoming acceptable. I think she's an idiot. Especially since she just accused me of committing an "its/it's" error in this post. There is no such error.

Hmm, never took Latin in school. I'm from southeastern PA.

 

[Scott Pearson]

Technobuilder said:
I'm hoping the Literature Forum Folk can back me up on this, but I could be wrong, so I ask in front of others just to be sure.

What are the accepted pronunciations (if there are more than just one) for the word "ANATHEMA"?

I've always heard it (uh-NATH-uh-ma), but a friend of mine says that it's also pronounced (an-na-THee-ma) and can be used interchangeably.

Every resource I can find gives the first pronunciation, and that's always how I've pronounced it. As far as "becoming" an English word, my OED tells me it's been used in English since at least the early seventeenth century, and the OED also gives the (uh-NATH-uh-ma) pronunciation.

Of course, language is inherently organic and changing, and once English has acquired a word from a foreign source, it earns its own pronunciation which may or may not follow the original. But it's safe to say at least that the primary English pronunciation is (uh-NATH-uh-ma). But I did not encounter a source which gave (an-na-THee-ma) even as a secondary pronunciation. I have not encountered that pronunciation until this thread.

So I'm standing with the Mack and (uh-NATH-uh-ma)!

 

[captcalhoun]

i say AH-nath-uh-ma. but, i'm british and have a regional accent. i say year as yur and girl as gurl, so feel free to ignore me.

 

[TGTheodore]

I pronounce it "bane".

Next question?

--Ted

 

[Kegek]

Scott Pearson said:
As far as "becoming" an English word, my OED tells me it's been used in English since at least the early seventeenth century, and the OED also gives the (uh-NATH-uh-ma) pronunciation.

In fact, the word was imported via the Catholic Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible. The later Protestant King James version, which opted to use more English words, went for abomination instead. It's interesting how the words are now scarcely interchangable.

David Mack said:
^ There's no polite way to put this: your friend is an idiot.

There are numerous polite ways to correct someone's spelling, grammar and pronounciation.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Kegek Kringle said:

David Mack said:
^ There's no polite way to put this: your friend is an idiot.

There are numerous polite ways to correct someone's spelling, grammar and pronounciation.

Not really, you always come off as superior and retentive. So I just let them think of me that way. I've given up trying to correct them politely since they always think I'm being superior and retentive.

 

[Kegek]

^
That's not the impression I have been given of those who correct me (as a dyslexic, I make frequent grammatical errors and word confusions), or the impression recieved when I correct others. All that is required is a bit of candour and politeness.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Maybe I just work or interact with people who have lousy command of the English language because of poor schooling or lack of brains. Sorry if that comes across as arrogant and superior, but I have little sympathy for those who have no excuse for not being able to speak, pronounce or spell correctly - and that includes my father!

 

[Smiley]

Is that a long or short "a" in "nath"?

 

[KRAD]

^ Short.