a priori, a posteriori

[interprete]

I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask this, apologies if I should have done it somewhere else.
I’ve been taking a course on epistemology, and there’s a large chapter on the distinction between a priori and a posteriori (empirical) knowledge.
Is there a standard way of pronouncing these two phrases in English? This is a distance written course so I don’t have a teacher pronouncing this for me, so I looked up a priori and a posteriori knowledge on Youtube and I’ve heard at least three different ways of pronouncing ’a priori’ ( [a pree-yo-ra-ee], [a prayoree], [ey preeoree]). It’s unlikely I’m ever going to need to say those words out loud to anyone, but I wonder which pronunciation is the most usual.
Thanks!

 

[Terry S.]

In British English they are pronounced thus:

a - as in bay

priori - pri as in pry; or as in oar; i as aye/eye; stress on the o = pry-oar-eye

posteriori - po as in pot; ster as in sterile; i as ee in tee; o as in oar; i as aye/eye = po-ster-ee-oar-eye

 

[interprete]

In British English they are pronounced thus:

a - as in bay

priori - pri as in pry; or as in oar; i as aye/eye; stress on the o = pry-oar-eye

posteriori - po as in pot; ster as in sterile; i as ee in tee; o as in oar; i as aye/eye = po-ster-ee-oar-eye

Thanks! So, fully 'anglicized' pronunciation then. Is it an American thing to pronounce it in a more Latin way?

 

[Terry S.]

Good luck with the epistemology. It's more fun pulling your toenails out with pliers.

 

[Terry S.]

Thanks! So, fully 'anglicized' pronunciation then. Is it an American thing to pronounce it in a more Latin way?

You'd need an American to answer that question. I'm answering for Glasgow University Epistemology 1991, taught by an Englishman.

 

[interprete]

Good luck with the epistemology. It's more fun pulling your toenails out with pliers.

Thanks, I really thought it would be more fun than that when I signed up...

 

[scrabulista]

I've always heard ah pree-oar-ee and ah post-tier-ee-oar-ee.

I think Terry's pronunciation is something that an attorney might say. I've heard stah-ray dee-sigh-sis and it has grated on my ears.

 

[Iacobinus]

As a side note, a priori and a posteriori are mediæval Latin locutions.
Classical Latin would decline it a priore and a posteriore.

 

[Edmundus]

Ah pree-ori, ah post-eh-ree-ori.