Audax - awdax or owdax?

[robjh]

It's pronounced 'awdax'* for me, but I've just sat with three people who were discussing an 'owdax'** for next year.
What do you think?

* rhymes with 'raw flax'
** rhymes with 'cow backs'

 

[earlestownflya]

it's awdax...they're just trying to be different...like they know something

 

[robjh]

it's awdax...they're just trying to be different...like they know something

It was Cambridge - maybe too much classical education.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

It's French, no? Oudax (cow backs)

 

[robjh]

It is one of
Oar Dacks
Or Daks
Awe Dacques

You are clearly non-rhotic

 

[ColinJ]

It's French, no? Oudax (cow backs)

I thought it was Italian -> French -> Everywhere else, and the name comes from the Latin word meaning bold, daring or audacious!

 

[Saluki]

I thought it was Italian -> French -> Everywhere else, and the name comes from the Latin word meaning bold, daring or audacious!

So does that mean that audacious is now OWdacious?

I have always thought it was AWdax too.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I thought it was Italian -> French -> Everywhere else, and the name comes from the Latin word meaning bold, daring or audacious!

Yes, comes from the Latin, means daring, "audace" both in Italian and French.
But audax (plural, probably intended to describe the audacious riders) is not an Italian word, it's a French word. Italian does not have X in the alphabet.

 

[growingvegetables]

Aha - a classical thread. Lads and lasses, allow me to parade my pedantry!

Audax - yup, it's Latin. Pronounced aw-dax. As in aurora borealis, audacious, auditor etc. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it - and anyway all them Romans is dead.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

British pronounce audacious ow-dacious, so, you must say ow-dax too

 

[Shaun]

So it's not audi-ax then? Bit like the Mintola camera I once asked to look at in a shop!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Aha - a classical thread. Lads and lasses, allow me to parade my pedantry!

Audax - yup, it's Latin. Pronounced aw-dax. As in aurora borealis, audacious, auditor etc. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it - and anyway all them Romans is dead.

I enrolled on a beginners Latin course at my local university. Obviously, me being Italian I had a great advantage, but, omg, the lecturer's pronunciation ... argh!
Of course, hers was right, mine was wrong
As you said, them Latins are well deid!

 

[srw]

Aha - a classical thread. Lads and lasses, allow me to parade my pedantry!

Audax - yup, it's Latin. Pronounced aw-dax. As in aurora borealis, audacious, auditor etc. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it - and anyway all them Romans is dead.

The classical Romans probably pronounced it closer to the other way - as far as I know about what we know about classical pronunciation anyway. If you say each vowel individually with an Italian pronunciation, then elide them, you usually come close to what was recommended pronunciation when I was at school.

The AW pronunciation is a British affectation, dating from back when we believed that we owned the world.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

 

[Racing roadkill]

How owdacious.