Amen

[thistle]

I’m actually not sure what forum my question belongs in. Anyway maybe somebody here knows the answer.
I know the meaning of Amen. Its my understanding that the word Amen comes originally from a Hebrew word and in both the original Hebrew and English the “A” is pronounced like ma, ba, ta, for example. Why is it then that so many people mispronounce the “A” like say, may, day? How did that arise?

 

[Deacon_Ed]

The current pronunciation arouse from a song found in the movie Lilies of the Valley with Sidney Portier. The song spread the popularity of that pronunciation and derives from an old “Negro Spiritual” (as it was then designated).

BTW, in Greek (and Arabic) it’s pronounced “Ah-mean”

Deacon Ed

 

[thistle]

thanks. I wasn’t aware of that. Interesting how that brought about what I would call, I guess, a mispronunciation. Doesn’t pronouncing it Ay-men instead of Ah-men change the meaning?

 

[Pug]

thistle:

thanks. I wasn’t aware of that. Interesting how that brought about what I would call, I guess, a mispronunciation. Doesn’t pronouncing it Ay-men instead of Ah-men change the meaning?

“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;”

When we say “AMEN” at the end of a prayer, we say “so be it”, even if we get our vowels wrong. The British get their vowels wrong all the time. (a joke!!!) You could also say “Amen” means truly or verily. It is based on the Hebrew word (cross my fingers that the fonts work): אמן

It is true that if you point it differently (I have no points on it), then it means different things in Hebrew.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

thistle:

thanks. I wasn’t aware of that. Interesting how that brought about what I would call, I guess, a mispronunciation. Doesn’t pronouncing it Ay-men instead of Ah-men change the meaning?

No, it doesn’t change the meaning any more than pronouncing it “Ah-men” instead of “Ah-mean” or the Hebrew pronunciation…

God knows what we are saying.

Deacon Ed