From the February 1995 Edition of the AEstel
Pronouncing AEstel
by Bertram of Bearington
Many good gentles have enquired as to the "proper" way to pronounce the
name of this newsletter, the AEstel. Each of the following variations can
be heard somewhere around the Principality.
AAAS-tel ess-TEL Ahhhs-TEL ess-TIL
According to a student of Anglo-Saxon, the first pronunciation is evidently
correct. The name of the newsletter means "book-marker" or "pointing
stick," like a teacher's pointer, and should sound like "pastel" without
the initial "p," and with the accent on the first syllable. Think AAAS-tel,
not ess-TEL.
AEstel is the Anglo-Saxon adaptation of the Latin word hastula, which means
"little spear." It was chosen as an appropriate name for an East Kingdom
principality newsletter because of its play on a larger "spear," the Pikestaff.
Gentles interested in learning more about Anglo-Saxon pronunciation should
try reading A Guide to Old English, by Bruce Mitchell, 2d Ed., Barnes &
Noble, New York, 1968 and The Roots of Modern English, L. M. Myers &
Richard L. Hoffman, 2d Ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston & Toronto, 1979.
source: https://lists.andrew.cmu.edu/pipermail/sca-aethelmearc/2005-October/000608.html