Learning Latin

[Glaurung]

Today I began the (serious) study of Latin, commencing with the first book in the Lingua Latina per se Illustrata series. My goal is to be able to read Classical Latin without translation. I have no illusions that this is going to be easy. Latin morphology is much more complex than English and French, though at least I will not have to worry too much about pronunciation (ecclesiastical is my preferred system) as I have little intention of ever conversing in it. I just want to be able to read and write in it.

And so today I began work on my first text. Which opens with the following:

Roma in Italia est. Italia in Europa est. Graecia in Europa est. Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt. Hispania quoque in Europa est. Hispania et Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt.
​

Out of laziness I have omitted marking the long vowels. Which are ignored in ecclesiastical anyway. In any case, with or without the long vowels marked it is not difficult to understand the opening lines especially if you have knowledge of a Romance language. In my case, French. Unlike the Assmil courses, Lingua Latina gives no translation. The goal is to learn by figuring it out line by line learning words by context and paying attention to the annotations in the margins which (in Latin) give grammatical clues. I will undoubtedly resort to a dictionary as it gets harder but it is encouraging to have read several paragraphs of Latin text in a single session learning new words and grammatical concepts by a combination of context and common sense. Building on what I have seen before as the text gradually becomes more and more complicated.

So as long as I put in the work everyday, who knows? Perhaps I will be reading the Vulgate or Cicero by the end of the year. Language learning is much like wage work. The more hours you put into it the more it pays off.

 

[Altfish]

Amo; Amas, Amat; Amamus, Amatis, Amant

 

[viole]

Today I began the (serious) study of Latin, commencing with the first book in the Lingua Latina per se Illustrata series. My goal is to be able to read classical Latin without translation. I have no illusions that this is going to be easy. Latin morphology is much more complex than English and French, though at least I will not have to worry too much about pronunciation (ecclesiastical is my preferred system) as I have little intention of ever conversing in it. I just want to be able to read and write in it.

And so today I began work on my first text. Which opens with the following:

Roma in Italia est. Italia in Europa est. Graecia in Europa est. Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt. Hispania quoque in Europa est. Hispania et Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt.
​

Out of laziness I have omitted marking the long vowels. Which are ignored in ecclesiastical anyway. In any case, with or without the long vowels marked it is not difficult to understand the opening lines especially if you have knowledge of a Romance language. In my case, French. Unlike the Assmil courses, Lingua Latina gives no translation. The goal is to learn by figuring it out line by line learning words by context and paying attention to the annotations in the margins which (in Latin) give grammatical clues. I will undoubtedly resort to a dictionary as it gets harder but it is encouraging to have read several paragraphs of Latin text in a single session learning new words and grammatical concepts by a combination of context and common sense. Building on what I have seen before as the text gradually becomes more and more complicated.

So as long as I put in the work everyday, who knows? Perhaps I will be reading the Vulgate or Cicero by the end of the year. Language learning is much like wage work. The more hours you put into it the more it pays off.

Romanes Eunt Domus.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Secret Chief]

Good luck, sounds an epic endeavour. This is all I know...

SPQR by This Heat

Amo amas amat amamis amatis amant
We are all romans unconscious collective
We are all romans we live to regret it
We are all romans and we know all
About straight roads
Every straight road leads home,
Home to rome
2 + 2 = 4
4 + 4 = 8
We organise via property as power
Slavehood and freedom imperial purple
Pax romana!
Suckled by a she wolf,
We turn against our brother
Bella bella bella bellorum bellis bellis
Veni vidi vici i came i saw i conquered
We are all romans unconscious collective
We are all romans we live to regret it
We are all romans and we know all
About straight roads
Every straight road leads home,
Home to rome
2 + 2 = 4
4 + 4 = 8
We organise via property as power
Slavehood and freedom imperial purple
Pax romana!
Suckled by a she wolf,
We turn against our brother
Bella bella bella bellorum bellis bellis
Veni vidi vici i came i saw i conquered
We are all romans

 

[Vee]

Today I began the (serious) study of Latin, commencing with the first book in the Lingua Latina per se Illustrata series. My goal is to be able to read classical Latin without translation. I have no illusions that this is going to be easy. Latin morphology is much more complex than English and French, though at least I will not have to worry too much about pronunciation (ecclesiastical is my preferred system) as I have little intention of ever conversing in it. I just want to be able to read and write in it.

And so today I began work on my first text. Which opens with the following:

Roma in Italia est. Italia in Europa est. Graecia in Europa est. Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt. Hispania quoque in Europa est. Hispania et Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt.
​

Out of laziness I have omitted marking the long vowels. Which are ignored in ecclesiastical anyway. In any case, with or without the long vowels marked it is not difficult to understand the opening lines especially if you have knowledge of a Romance language. In my case, French. Unlike the Assmil courses, Lingua Latina gives no translation. The goal is to learn by figuring it out line by line learning words by context and paying attention to the annotations in the margins which (in Latin) give grammatical clues. I will undoubtedly resort to a dictionary as it gets harder but it is encouraging to have read several paragraphs of Latin text in a single session learning new words and grammatical concepts by a combination of context and common sense. Building on what I have seen before as the text gradually becomes more and more complicated.

So as long as I put in the work everyday, who knows? Perhaps I will be reading the Vulgate or Cicero by the end of the year. Language learning is much like wage work. The more hours you put into it the more it pays off.

You are a very brave person. Good luck with that mission.

 

[ChristineM]

Roma in Italia est. Italia in Europa est. Graecia in Europa est. Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt. Hispania quoque in Europa est. Hispania et Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt.

I could read that. Hope you enjoy tackling a new language

 

[Glaurung]

I could read that.

I would be concerned if you couldn't.

 

[pearl]

Credo ergo sum

Good luck with the Latin, my daughter felt that her study of Latin first made other languages easier to learn.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Last night - 24 hours after Italy beat England in the European Championship finals - I watched Gladiator. At the end of the opening battle scene, the character played by Russel Crowe shouted out "Roma victor est" apparently echoing the words of Georgio Chiellini, who shouted "It's coming to Rome" whilst waving the trophy at the cameras.

And I was trying to forget the pain.

 

[Glaurung]

Good luck with the Latin, my daughter felt that her study of Latin first made other languages easier to learn.

I have a slight advantage in that I know French to a decent level. So immediately I was able to recognize est/sunt as est/sont. Esse as être.

Latin: sum, es, est, sumus, estis, sunt.
French: suis, es, est, sommes, êtes, sont.

More intimidating will be having to wrap my head around the complex system of noun declension, which apart from the singular/plural distinction is nonexistent in French. (Except on pronouns, like in English).

 

[Secret Chief]

Romanes eunt domus.

 

[Estro Felino]

Classical Latin is not easy...not even for us Italians. Cicero for example did anything to create a new incomprehensible language ...the Ciceronish...lol

But I really enjoy reading the Vulgate. Written in very clean, understandable Latin.
Or Augustine's De Civitate Dei.

My best wishes

 

[Glaurung]

Romanes eunt domus.

Do it again and I'll get the centurion.

 

[Sirona]

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres.

In order to make Latin sound more hip, our teacher made us sing Yesterday in Latin and played a lot of vocabulary bingo with us, with real chocolate bars as prizes.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Last night - 24 hours after Italy beat England in the European Championship finals - I watched Gladiator. At the end of the opening battle scene, the character played by Russel Crowe shouted out "Roma victor est" apparently echoing the words of Georgio Chiellini, who shouted "It's coming to Rome" whilst waving the trophy at the cameras.

And I was trying to forget the pain.

Football? Qu'est-ce que c'est?

 

[Valjean]

...I have little intention of ever conversing in it.

Why not?
There are Latin websites and chat rooms. Latin clubs. Latin-only events and venues. At least one Latin radio station.
I've even heard that there's a country where ecclesiastical Latin is the official language.

 

[Estro Felino]

More intimidating will be having to wrap my head around the complex system of noun declension, which apart from the singular/plural distinction is nonexistent in French. (Except on pronouns, like in English).

In my personal opinion declensions need to be studied gradually. Not in a hurry.
The first and the second are a good start. The 3rd, the 4th and the 5th should be learnt in a second moment, when the first two are not an issue any more. That's my advice

 

[Glaurung]

Why not?
There are Latin websites and chat rooms. Latin clubs. Latin-only events and venues. At least one Latin radio station.

What I mean is that I am less concerned with being able to hold a spoken conversation than I am with being able to read and write in it. If there are active Latin language forums around I will absolutely get involved.

In my personal opinion declensions need to be studied gradually. Not in a hurry.
The first and the second are a good start. The 3rd, the 4th and the 5th should be learnt in a second moment, when the first two are not an issue any more. That's my advice

Rome wasn't built in a day.