I say 'Severus', with no long 'e's, although most classical Latinists would also say that the 'v' should really be pronounced more like a 'wh', and I do that sometimes too.
The name did carry the same meaning as our word 'severe', though, so I can't see any harm in bringing that out for modern English-speakers by lengthening the second e. The fact is, neither he nor any of his comtemporaries is here to tell us what they said.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2006-04-22 03:22 am (UTC)Or not, I'm afraid...
I say 'Severus', with no long 'e's, although most classical Latinists would also say that the 'v' should really be pronounced more like a 'wh', and I do that sometimes too.
The name did carry the same meaning as our word 'severe', though, so I can't see any harm in bringing that out for modern English-speakers by lengthening the second e. The fact is, neither he nor any of his comtemporaries is here to tell us what they said.