ilyazhito
OC.Net Guru
Amen is a very important word in Orthodox Christian worship, because it both starts and finishes many prayers. The Third Hour, and many other services, start with the reader or choir responding "Amen" to the priest's opening exclamation (sometimes preceded by an exclamation/reminder from the deacon), and it is traditional to respond to the priest's dismissal with "Amen" before beginning the polychronion.
In the Orthodox English-speaking world, it is pretty much standard to pronounce Amen with a short "AH" as in ramen, or as the ah in the British pronunciation of the word bath. However, I have noticed that when Protestants pray, they often say Amen with the first vowel as in the word "aim". Does anyone know why they do that? It sounds strange when I hear an Orthodox person saying Amen in the Protestant way, because the spelling indicates a short pronunciation for Amen, if it were an English word and not a Hebrew borrowing.
In the Orthodox English-speaking world, it is pretty much standard to pronounce Amen with a short "AH" as in ramen, or as the ah in the British pronunciation of the word bath. However, I have noticed that when Protestants pray, they often say Amen with the first vowel as in the word "aim". Does anyone know why they do that? It sounds strange when I hear an Orthodox person saying Amen in the Protestant way, because the spelling indicates a short pronunciation for Amen, if it were an English word and not a Hebrew borrowing.