Are macrons still used in today's Latin?

Forums:
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Wheelock, very early in his book, is very emphatic that Latin writing should ALWAYS (except when all capital letters are used) show the macrons ("overbars") over any vowels that are long, because long vowels are pronounced differently than short vowels, and are also much longer in time duration than short vowels. But I've noticed lately that several of my other sources (some books giving famous Latin sentences and phrases, and also some on-line translating sites) don't show macrons at all. I'm curious if most written Latin today (as well as Latin spoken (at least until recently) in Catholic masses) no longer use the macrons in writing, and no longer pronounce the long and short vowels differently. Have the macrons (in the writing and/or the pronunciation) disappeared in today's Latin?

If they ARE still used in today's Latin, can I type them on my Mac laptop?

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Question • Score: 0 • Views: 207 • Replies: 2

No top replies

@MikeFontenot,

I learned to pronounce Latin back when that was the language of the Roman
Catholic liturgy. The text I saw in those days used accent marks but not
macrons. I cannot remember ever having been taught the difference in
pronunciation between long and short vowels. I just mimicked what I heard.

In high school and college I received more formal instruction in Latin, both
Classic and Ecclesiastic. Perhaps I was taught the difference then, but I
can't remember.

The Latin I read and write now does not use macrons (or accent marks for
that matter) but, of course, I see them in Latin dictionaries.

I haven't a clue about Mac laptops.

0 Replies

I never heard of them before. A google search finds articles about the president of France.

0 Replies

Forums
» Are macrons still used in today's Latin?

Read Question
Reply to All

Are macrons still used in today's Latin?

Quick Links

My Account

able2know