How do I pronounce words of Latin or Greek origin in German?

Question

Since I am a doctor, I often encounter medical terms which can be very hard to pronounce. Although I can easily read the phonetic alphabet, I can not find these words in normal dictionaries like Duden or PONS. Unfortunately, my German- English medical dictionary (Reuter Medizin) does not contain the pronunciation. I do not think the usual pronunciation rules for German words apply to words from other origins. Examples:

Dyspnoe, Nephritis haemorrhagica/luica/gravidaru, Tendo calcaneus,... etc

Names of drugs: Dimenhydrinat, Ciprofloxacin... etc, (not to mention the brand names!)

How can I know how to pronounce such words accurately? How do I know the stressed syllable in such words? Are there dictionaries that have the pronunciation for these words? Are there rules?

Answer 1

Latin

There is an article in English Wikipedia that describes the different regional pronunciations of latin.

In the German spoken area there are two different pronunciations important (both linked articles are in German language):

• the school-pronunciation
• the German pronunciation

In music (i.e. for singing christian masses from Italian composers) there is also important the Italian pronunciation of Latin.

The German school-pronunciation is a mixture of the reconstructed pronunciation and the usual German pronunciation. But in a scientific context the preferred way to pronounce latin words is the German pronunciation.

What are characteristics of German pronunciation?

• Letter c before e, i, ae, oe, y is pronounced as [ʦ], otherwise as [k] (never as [s] like in English or [tʃ] line in italian)

  "caput" = [ˈkaput]; "cera" = [ˈʦeːʀa]

• Vowels before two (or more) consonants in the same syllable are always short (double consonants count as two consonants)
• Vowels at the end of a syllable can be long, also if the syllable ends in only one consonant
• only vowels in stressed syllables can be long

• Vowels are pronounced as in German:

  • "a" = [a] or [aː]
  • "e" = [ɛ] (if stressed) [ə] (schwa in unstressed syllables) or [eː]
  • "i" = [ɪ] / [i] or [iː]
  • "o" = [ɔ] or [oː]
  • "u" = [ʊ] or [uː]
  • "y" = [ɪ], [i] or [iː]
  • alternate convention for "y" = [ʏ] or [yː]

• Also consonants are pronounced as if the word was German:

  • "b" = [b]
  • "c" = [ʦ] or [kʰ] (aspired k) (for distinction see above)
  • "d" = [d]
  • "f" = [f]
  • "g" = [g]
  • "h" = [h]
  • "l" = [l]
  • "m" = [m]
  • "n" = [n]
  • "p" = [pʰ] (aspired p)
  • "qu" = [kʋ]
  • "r" = [r], [ʀ] or [ʁ] (you can use what ever you want)
  • "s" = [z] before vowels, otherwise [s] (in Austria always [s]) (but "ss" is always [s])
  • "t" = [tʰ] (aspired t) but "ti" if followed by another vowel = [ʦɪ]
  • "v" = [f] or [ʋ]
  • "x" = [k(ʰ)s]
  • "z" = [ts]

Note, that in the middle and northern parts of Germany [b], [d] and [g] at the end of a word become [p], [t] and [k] (Auslautverhärtung)

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Greek

There is also an article in Wikipedia that deals with the pronunciation of old Greek in German.

Here also exists an attempt to reconstruct the old pronunciation, but what you will hear in German spoken countries is a little bit different.

Biggest difference: Sounds, that do not exist in German language (like [θ]) will not be used in German pronunciation.

There also is no difference in pronunciation of θ and τ. Both are spoken as an aspired [tʰ]. (T is always aspired in German)

Generally spoken π, τ and κ are always aspired (i.e. [pʰ], [tʰ] and [kʰ] instead of [p], [t], [k])

Σ and ζ are pronounced like latin s and z (see above).

Χ most often is pronounced as [x] (like ch in German »Dach« = [dax]) but sometimes also like c in latin language (see above)

The greek vowels are pronounced like their Latin counterparts.

Answer 2

The German Rechtschreibrat has added a chapter on German pronounciation and, especially, a sub-chapter on how to pronounce foreign words to their set of rules. It can be found here. The rules for foreign words start on page 24. You should be able to read IPA phonetic symbols, though.

Answer 3

Hubert's answer is excellent, but to put it short for your special use case:

• Names of symptoms are put in the school pronounciation (c→k, t→t) because patients would hardly use it and that pronounciation is clearer.
• Names of drugs and brand names are put in the German pronounciation (c→ts, t→z) because the patient has to pronunce the name when talking about her medication.