Pronounciation

[lexin]

I throw this out to the multitude because I forgot to ask my creative writing teacher.

How do you pronounce the name Proserpine? Is it Pross-er-pin-ay or Proser-pine or Proz-er-pin-ay or what?

I've seen it written down. I know she's in a poem by Shelley (I think it's Shelley) but I've never heard it said.

Comments

[sollers]

From my recollection of doing Shelley at school, we were told for those purposes to pronounce it "Prosser-peen".

[clanwilliam]

That's how I pronounce it too, but it was only when Lexin mentioned it that I realised I'd never actually heard it pronounced. I think I picked up the pronounciation because of a reference in a novel (poss a Heyer) where it's used to rhyme and I extrapolated from that.

[ellen_fremedon]

Do you mean in Latin, or in English? The Latin is often spelled with final /-a/ and pronounced /pro ser PI na/, wtih the vowels given their Romance values. English it's generally pronounced with the same vowels, but with the stress pattern of the equivalent Greek Persephone-- /pro SER pi na/.

But if it's the poem I think you're thinking of, it's by Swinbourne, and he stresses it on the first syllable and rhymes it with "wine." So I guess there you pronounce it the way the poet wants you to.

[lexin]

You are correct, it is Swinburne. And he does mean you to pronounce it Proser-pine, to rhyme with wine.

I love it so much, especially this bit, with really hits home with me (I can't make the lines go to the right places) but:



From too much love of living,
From hope and fear set free,
We thank with brief thanksgiving
Whatever gods may be
That no life lives for ever;
That dead men rise up never;
That even the weariest river
Winds somewhere safe to sea.

Then star nor sun shall waken,
Nor any change of light:
Nor sound of waters shaken,
Nor any sound or sight:
Nor wintry leaves nor vernal,
Nor days nor things diurnal;
Only the sleep eternal
In an eternal night.

[gattagrigia]

What a beautiful poem! Yeah, English poetry was not a staple in my education, and I am unfamiliar with Mr Swinburne.

I didn't realize it before, but if I see Proserpine I automatically say Persephone. Mostly the same letters, I guess. Good old pattern matching!

[sollers]

Not so much often as always!

In 19th century English pronunciation of Latin, long "I" was as in "night" and short "I" was as in "bit" but as this is the Anglicised spelling anyway that doesn't matter.

[kalypso]

Well, I'd pronounce it Persephone, having no truck with those Roman types.

But last week, when I went to the broadcast of The Winter's Tale, Perdita was saying

"...O Proserpina,
For the flowers now that frighted thou let'st fall
from Dis's wagon!"

Obviously Shakespeare was going for the -a spelling, but I think HRH said Pross-er-pee-na. That might be the rural Bohemian accent, of course.

[lexin]

Interesting because the poem is obviously expecting a rhyme with wine.

I think my instinct would be Pros-er-peen-a.

[kalypso]

The whole "Winter garments must be lined, so must slender Rosalind" speech suggests that was the accepted rhyme around 1600, unless the dissonance is Touchstone's joke.