Pronunciation of δεω in πηληιαδεω (Iliad line 1...)

[brookter]

Hi,

I think I understand the principle of sinizesis (paragraph 586), which dictates that the εω in πηληλιαδεω should be pronounced as a single long syllable. However, I'm not clear how it actually should be pronounced - εω doesn't seem to be one of the diphthongs listed and any other way of pronouncing seems to involve two vowels (however quickly one of them is pronounced) so it's not actually a single syllable at all. Is the ε just forgotten - or is there a specific pronunciation not mentioned in the text?

I know I'm missing something and I suspect it's really obvious...

Many thanks

David

[oberon]

Remember that a) we don't really know how things were pronounced (for example, eta's are often prounced like "aye" but probably were more like a short "e" as in bet) an b) the meter can change normal pronunciation:

MEnin a-AYde theA pe; LE-i-a-dEO (pronounced eh-oh really fast) a-khilE-OS.

[brookter]

OK - thanks very much for the reply.

David

[Anthony Appleyard]

I have seen a theory that originally this word was πηληϝιαδᾱ' elided for πηληϝιαδᾱo ; the next word was Ἀχιλῆϝος .

Pronunciation was likely: short ε close like French é ; η long open like English "air" (but without an r-component), or like the 'e' in 'pet' but drawled.