[PW] Latin pronunciation of proevalebit?

[Simon Cauchi]

On 25/03/2008, at 3:27 AM, A. Lee wrote:

> If it would pleasure you, what is the translation of Magna est veritas 
>  et proevalebit  and how is proevalebit pronounced?

Great is the truth and it will prevail.

I've always seen the last word spelt "praevalebit" and have always 
pronounced the first syllable like English "pry", the second as "va", 
the third as "lay", and the last as "bit". An Italian clergymen would 
no doubt pronounce the first syllable more like "pray".

However, I see that the quotation is given as "Magna est veritas et 
praevalet" in my quotation dictionary, and the source is given as 1 
Esdras 4:41. There are no doubt many variant translations of this as of 
all biblical texts. Two I have to hand are these:

"Great is Truth, and mighty above all things." (Authorized Version)
"Truth is great -- there is nothing stronger!" (Good News Translation)

(In the Latin, "praevalet" is present tense, and "praevalebit" is 
future tense.)

The spelling variant "oe" for "ae" is of no significance. It just means 
that your source is, or reproduces, an old-fashioned text.

Simon Cauchi
<simon.cauchi at xtra.co.nz>