Re: Archie's English name

["Nicholas J. Pharris" <pharrinj@PLU.edu>]

On Sun, 4 Feb 1996 PESELYG@LYNX.APSU.EDU wrote:

> In a message on 3 Feb. 1996 ("Lizard like bird-hips") Jeff Poling
> wrote "...Archaeopteryx (are-kay-oh-tare-ix)..."  I think we've
> been over this before, but (1) the "p" isn't silent before "t"
> except at the beginning of a word (cf. helicopter, optical,
> Lepidoptera), 

Of course, in ancient Greek, "p" was pronounced before "t" even at the 
beginning of a word, hence "pteron," "wing," the source of all this 
confusion (and, incidentally, cognate to English "feather") was 
pronounced exactly as it looks.

> George Pesely
> Department of History
> Austin Peay State University      
> Clarksville, TN 37044           <peselyg@lynx.apsu.edu>
> 

Nick Pharris
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
(206)535-8204
PharriNJ@PLU.edu

"If you can't convince them, confuse them." -- Harry S. Truman