You are both right. In its classical form, Latin has no j or J. However, in its medieval form, which has been used by the Church, there are many deviations regarding this. I must also state that there is no voiced palato-alveolar affricate, voiced alveolo-palatal affricate, voiceless palato-alveolar affricate and voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate in Latin, but you can still hear people read like these sounds exist in Latin. This problem occured during the medieval time. Simply listen to one chanted Pater noster and you will hear that problem. It tears my ears of, but dum spiro spero.
A matter of preference, perhaps. Two "recent" points, however, come to mind:
- John XXIII, in the re-issuing of the Breviary, had the "I's" that were made "J's", turned back to "I's".
- Those of us who spent time in Rome know of the story of how Pope John Paul II adopted the spelling "Joannes Paulus" upon his institution. The Vatican Latinist Reginald Foster was producing the Latin text for a papal document and edited the J to an I, with the note "There is no J in Latin." He got a note back, "There is now.".. However, from that point on, the Pope used and signed with an "I", and not "J" in his name!
Wonderful dedication, indeed! What a wonderful priest he was... One pet peeve of mine, however: last line, it's" EIUS"; there is no "J" in Latin!
ReplyDeleteOf course there is. Open the Missale, Rituale, Pontificale, Liber Usualis, Graduale... plenty of "j" and "J".
ReplyDeleteYou are both right. In its classical form, Latin has no j or J. However, in its medieval form, which has been used by the Church, there are many deviations regarding this. I must also state that there is no voiced palato-alveolar affricate, voiced alveolo-palatal affricate, voiceless palato-alveolar affricate and voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate in Latin, but you can still hear people read like these sounds exist in Latin. This problem occured during the medieval time. Simply listen to one chanted Pater noster and you will hear that problem. It tears my ears of, but dum spiro spero.
ReplyDeleteA matter of preference, perhaps. Two "recent" points, however, come to mind:
ReplyDelete- John XXIII, in the re-issuing of the Breviary, had the "I's" that were made "J's", turned back to "I's".
- Those of us who spent time in Rome know of the story of how Pope John Paul II adopted the spelling "Joannes Paulus" upon his institution. The Vatican Latinist Reginald Foster was producing the Latin text for a papal document and edited the J to an I, with the note "There is no J in Latin." He got a note back, "There is now.".. However, from that point on, the Pope used and signed with an "I", and not "J" in his name!