3 ms·

I don't want to sound pedantic, but the correct pronunciation of "archaeopterix" is [ar-keh-o-pteh-riks]. Apparently the English Wikipedia page for it has the E

I don't want to sound pedantic, but the correct pronunciation of "archaeopterix" is [ar-keh-o-pteh-riks]. Apparently the English Wikipedia page for it has the English-tainted pronounciation. I spent 5 good minutes trying to find a way to transcribe in a way that an Anglosaxon would pronounce correctly, as Greek-Latin vowels have a unique sound while in English their sound depend on the letters before or after them and often are pronounced as diphtongs. In Greek-Latin AE = E, always, and sounds like the "e" in "men". Anyway, I'm no linguist.

logfromblammo 12y ago
Of course that's correct. But the other pronunciation is not incorrect; it's just less correct, because it elides over the root boundary between the archaeo- for "ancient" and -pteryx for "winged one". I recall hearing or seeing the less-correct pronunciation near the relevant fossil or fossil reproduction at the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, but I can't remember if it was actually printed on the display card or not. I did have to explain to my kids why the correct pronunciation of root-combining words is important for effective communication. The exaggerated roll of the eyeballs means you're teaching it effectively! (Or at least that's what I keep telling myself.)