pronunciation help: Draco

[andrea at noembromation.com.br]

No: HPFGUIDX 11372

Steve wrote:
> I received a feedback to the Lexicon from someone who questioned 
what 
> I put for Draco's name on the Pronunciation Page of the Lexicon. I 
> used DRAY-ko, which is the way my American mouth says it and the 
way 
> Jim Dale says it on the tapes. That just sounds right to me. This 
> person suggested that since it's from Latin, it should be 
pronounced 
> DRAH-ko. Granted, it would be /ah/ in Latin (the word draconis 
would 
> be pronounced drah-KO-nus), but DRAH-ko just sounds weird to me. Is 
> my American bias showing or what here? Help me out...

Being a Romance language speaker, DRAH-ko was always the only 
thinkable pronunciation to me. I was downright shocked when I heard 
DRAY-ko on the Scholastic Guide. I'm trying to get used to this now, 
but it just sounds wrong! Do you guys pronounce it DRAY-ko even when 
the word is in a Latin phrase (like "Draco Sinister" or "Draco 
Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus")?

Andrea