Writing style in Harry Potter

[Feles in silva]

I was flipping through the Latin edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and I noticed that while proper nouns were capitalised, sentences were otherwise written all in lower case. Is this the style to write in Latin, at least today?

[amans]

Yes, this is also the case in the Loeb Library, for instance. I am not sure why this so. The ancients only wrote capitals, but as that would tire a modern eye, perhaps modern editors thought inverting the capitals into minuscules would 'mirror' the ancient practice nicely. Just a guess.

[annis]

I was flipping through the Latin edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and I noticed that while proper nouns were capitalised, sentences were otherwise written all in lower case. Is this the style to write in Latin, at least today?

Yes, this is the usual convention in English publishing of Latin works at least (see Loebs or OCTs). It's not well known, and at least one review of the Latin edition on Amazon claims the editing is sloppy because of it.

Similar conventions are at work in the Greek edition. However, it doesn't quote direct speech, so the start of a quote is also indicated by capitalization, and a ἔφη, ἦ δ’ ὅς, κτλ. nearby.

[Deudeditus]

http://www.mythfolklore.net/harriuspotter/

They actually read it to you... Great for not-yet-literate children. But watch the 'r's. It kinda sounds like my g/f's sister trying to read the Wheelock's Sententiae Antiquae to me (well, the 'r's anyway.)

[Lucus Eques]

Lots of people write and ask me how to "correctly" read Latin out loud. That always makes me laugh. I don't have a clue how to pronounce it "correctly"! Last time I checked Latin was a dead language, so it should be happy that anybody is pronouncing it in any way whatsoever. When somebody is giving you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, you don't bother about their accent.

The most important thing is just that: READ OUT LOUD. Don't worry about being "correct" (whatever that means).

Abominable ... absolutely, unforgivably disgusting ... O tempora, o mores!

[FiliusLunae]

I was flipping through the Latin edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and I noticed that while proper nouns were capitalised, sentences were otherwise written all in lower case. Is this the style to write in Latin, at least today?

Ooh.. that's exactly what I'm reading right now! It's awesome.

Lots of people write and ask me how to "correctly" read Latin out loud. That always makes me laugh. I don't have a clue how to pronounce it "correctly"! Last time I checked Latin was a dead language, so it should be happy that anybody is pronouncing it in any way whatsoever. When somebody is giving you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, you don't bother about their accent.

The most important thing is just that: READ OUT LOUD. Don't worry about being "correct" (whatever that means).

Abominable ... absolutely, unforgivably disgusting ... O tempora, o mores!

Salve, Luce!
I had read that page before and I totally agree with you... it appears both you and I seem to play it big on Latin pronunciation, and we seem to agree on what we consider a correct one. Perhaps when you have some free time, or when you get back to the States, we could do a pronunciation project together?
Vale!

On a side note, I have wondered how that professor manages to post so much material from Harrius Potter. I mean, the copyright issues. I think she has the text up to like page 48, and the audio as well. I wonder because, like I say above to Lucus, I have thought about doing some audio/pronunciation project.
Thanks!

[CharlesH]

edited for brevity

[amans]

Lots of people write and ask me how to "correctly" read Latin out loud. That always makes me laugh. I don't have a clue how to pronounce it "correctly"! Last time I checked Latin was a dead language, so it should be happy that anybody is pronouncing it in any way whatsoever. When somebody is giving you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, you don't bother about their accent.

The most important thing is just that: READ OUT LOUD. Don't worry about being "correct" (whatever that means).

haec quis dixitne

uale

[Deudeditus]

fatuus haec dixit.
of course we need consistency in our pronunciation.
would you recognize vita brevis, ars longa if I pronounced it as (with voiced "v" and American "r" and "j") vaitei preevais, eiress luhnjay...?probably not.