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

[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.