Great resources for self taught Latin.
June 30, 2005 6:53 AM Subscribe
Free Latin grammars and Texts are available for budding Latin scholars as well as Law and Med students who want a jump on all the professional lingo. Forum Romanorum provides very readable texts on Roman culture, life and history. Finally this better than average latin quotes page is available for the Mefites who just want to be able to spout Latin quotes (or who want to know what Latin quote gasbags are going on about)
Online PDF reprint of out-of-print books is such an obvious and low-cost thing to do. I wish we had more ambitious sites of this kind in more fields. But I guess that's what Google is trying to do with its library scanning mission. I've noticed a similar Classics project that focuses on reference books like Smith's Dictionary.
The text and translation collection at Forum Romanorum is excellent; definitely see also the texts at Perseus.
There's plenty more out there. I might be able to supply a link if someone has a specific need or interest.
posted by Zurishaddai at 7:55 AM on June 30, 2005
The text and translation collection at Forum Romanorum is excellent; definitely see also the texts at Perseus.
There's plenty more out there. I might be able to supply a link if someone has a specific need or interest.
posted by Zurishaddai at 7:55 AM on June 30, 2005
I have scoured these pages and I find absolutely no mention of "dorkus malorkus".
posted by gramschmidt at 7:57 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by gramschmidt at 7:57 AM on June 30, 2005
Great resource if you're planning to vacation in Latin America!
posted by scratch at 8:13 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by scratch at 8:13 AM on June 30, 2005
Um, that "better than average latin quotes page" doesn't distinguish between actual quotes and dumb (if occasionally funny) cutesy-pie modernisms like "Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus! - Let's all wear mood rings!" Also, I want my quotes pages to give some indication of where the quotes are from; otherwise, what's the point?
Aside from that, [lorem ipsum]... er, I mean [bonum est].
posted by languagehat at 8:16 AM on June 30, 2005
Aside from that, [lorem ipsum]... er, I mean [bonum est].
posted by languagehat at 8:16 AM on June 30, 2005
Great resource if you're planning to vacation in Latin America! - and your Vice President of the United States.
"I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people." -- Dan Quayle
posted by ericb at 8:23 AM on June 30, 2005
"I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people." -- Dan Quayle
posted by ericb at 8:23 AM on June 30, 2005
Languagehat, the page does seem to cite when they are actual utterances by like cicero (I always wanted to pronounce that with the Latin hard C, Kickero, which made him a minor member of the furious five for me) and Ovid and so on? Do you mean like a full cite with the attributed book if there was one? I agree on the cutsey modernisms though, feh.
From memory and somone correct me if I'm wrong, but one of my favorite bits of latin is:
Discubuere et beborum in manourum Graecorum. Which is supposed to mean (to get) let's get naked and drink in the Greek fashion.
Matella est mater, anyone know what I mean?
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:35 AM on June 30, 2005 [1 favorite]
From memory and somone correct me if I'm wrong, but one of my favorite bits of latin is:
Discubuere et beborum in manourum Graecorum. Which is supposed to mean (to get) let's get naked and drink in the Greek fashion.
Matella est mater, anyone know what I mean?
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:35 AM on June 30, 2005 [1 favorite]
oh BeerGrin, thanks this is cool.
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:36 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:36 AM on June 30, 2005
Matella est mater, anyone know what I mean?
Caecilius est in atrium.
posted by anagrama at 8:39 AM on June 30, 2005 [2 favorites]
Caecilius est in atrium.
posted by anagrama at 8:39 AM on June 30, 2005 [2 favorites]
Awesome stuff - and timely: I was just trying to convince the girl last night that "the die is cast" does not actually come from metallurgy. Though frankly, I was so taken with that exegesis I felt a cad lecturing about Caesar. Boys are dumb, it's true.
posted by freebird at 8:40 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by freebird at 8:40 AM on June 30, 2005
anagrama
Latin class, awesome. Was it Grumio est servus? Poor old Pompei.
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:42 AM on June 30, 2005
Latin class, awesome. Was it Grumio est servus? Poor old Pompei.
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:42 AM on June 30, 2005
Thanks, nice links.
Perseus has always been my goto before this.
posted by OmieWise at 8:48 AM on June 30, 2005
Perseus has always been my goto before this.
posted by OmieWise at 8:48 AM on June 30, 2005
Let's all wear rings which display the soul!
I remember Grumio. What was the father's name, Caecilius?
posted by kenko at 9:34 AM on June 30, 2005
I remember Grumio. What was the father's name, Caecilius?
posted by kenko at 9:34 AM on June 30, 2005
*Turns on TV, considers news*
Well, when in Rome...
posted by theinsectsarewaiting at 9:50 AM on June 30, 2005
Well, when in Rome...
posted by theinsectsarewaiting at 9:50 AM on June 30, 2005
My favorite high school Latin pseudo-quote: "Semper ubi sub ubi"--Always where wear under where underwear.
::checks quote list:: Oh, they've got it there, too. Man. That's really not to be trusted then, huh? Gotcha.
posted by ChrisTN at 9:59 AM on June 30, 2005
::checks quote list:: Oh, they've got it there, too. Man. That's really not to be trusted then, huh? Gotcha.
posted by ChrisTN at 9:59 AM on June 30, 2005
Mama say, mama sah, mama coo sah.
posted by horsewithnoname at 12:55 PM on June 30, 2005
posted by horsewithnoname at 12:55 PM on June 30, 2005
CART MASTER: [clang] Bring out your dead languages!
CUSTOMER: Here's one. [clang]
CART MASTER: Ninepence.
LATIN: I'm not dead!
CART MASTER: What?
CUSTOMER: Nothing. Here's your ninepence.
LATIN: I'm not dead!
CART MASTER: 'Ere. He says he's not dead!
CUSTOMER: Yes, he is.
LATIN: I'm not!
CART MASTER: He isn't?
CUSTOMER: Well, he will be soon. He's very ill.
LATIN: I'm getting better!
posted by spock at 2:45 PM on June 30, 2005 [1 favorite]
CUSTOMER: Here's one. [clang]
CART MASTER: Ninepence.
LATIN: I'm not dead!
CART MASTER: What?
CUSTOMER: Nothing. Here's your ninepence.
LATIN: I'm not dead!
CART MASTER: 'Ere. He says he's not dead!
CUSTOMER: Yes, he is.
LATIN: I'm not!
CART MASTER: He isn't?
CUSTOMER: Well, he will be soon. He's very ill.
LATIN: I'm getting better!
posted by spock at 2:45 PM on June 30, 2005 [1 favorite]
*Skulks in, grabs an armload of primers, skulks out*
posted by Absit Invidia at 7:13 PM on June 30, 2005
posted by Absit Invidia at 7:13 PM on June 30, 2005
This is so timely. I recently learned that I'll be teaching Latin to middle school kids next year, and it's been several years since I actually studied it, and I need to spend the summer brushing up. Thanks, BeerGrin!
posted by Acetylene at 7:59 PM on June 30, 2005
posted by Acetylene at 7:59 PM on June 30, 2005
Geoffrey Willans put his recollections of British school boy Latin classes in his How to Be Topp , illustrations by Ronald Searle. His protagonist, Molesworth, describes a typical Latin play (predating Rowling, by the way) as follows:
The Hogwarts
by Marcus Plautus Molesworthus
Sene One. The villa of Cotta at Rome. Enter CORTICUS a dreary old slave and RADIX his mate
CORTICUS:(laying a skin of wine at the sideboard) Eheu!
(The headmaster and all lat. masters who watch roar with larffter)
RADIX: Eheu!
(More larffter they are in stiches)
CORTICUS: Eheu!
RADIX Eheu
(The curtain falls as the masters rolle helplessly in the aisles.)
Sene Two A tavern off the Via apia. Enter MENSA a dirty old man followed by ANNUS his shieldbearer
MENSA: Tot quot, clot
ANNUS: Tu quoque, clotie
(They trip over each others's togas. An ancient Briton enters in chains
BRITON: Turn it up now, turn it up
(The curtain falls with all masters in hysterics)
Sene Three The Capitol. Cotta and his wife are at breakfast.
COTTA: Quid est pabulum?
WIFE: (Handing the cornflakes) Vis.
COTTA: Eheu!
IDIOTICUS their son enters singing to the lyre
IDIOTICUS:
To nouns that cannot be declined
The neuter gender is assigned
Bebop, bebop
Examples fas and nefas give
And the Verb-Noun Infinitive
(This is too much for the masters who join rolicking in the chorus. The geese begin to quack and all the actors forget their lines. Curtain)
Much more besides, and the illustrations are, well, they're Ronald Searle. Get the book. Better yet, get the collected works. (If that's too lowbrow, there's always YLE)
posted by IndigoJones at 8:08 AM on July 1, 2005
The Hogwarts
by Marcus Plautus Molesworthus
Sene One. The villa of Cotta at Rome. Enter CORTICUS a dreary old slave and RADIX his mate
CORTICUS:(laying a skin of wine at the sideboard) Eheu!
(The headmaster and all lat. masters who watch roar with larffter)
RADIX: Eheu!
(More larffter they are in stiches)
CORTICUS: Eheu!
RADIX Eheu
(The curtain falls as the masters rolle helplessly in the aisles.)
Sene Two A tavern off the Via apia. Enter MENSA a dirty old man followed by ANNUS his shieldbearer
MENSA: Tot quot, clot
ANNUS: Tu quoque, clotie
(They trip over each others's togas. An ancient Briton enters in chains
BRITON: Turn it up now, turn it up
(The curtain falls with all masters in hysterics)
Sene Three The Capitol. Cotta and his wife are at breakfast.
COTTA: Quid est pabulum?
WIFE: (Handing the cornflakes) Vis.
COTTA: Eheu!
IDIOTICUS their son enters singing to the lyre
IDIOTICUS:
To nouns that cannot be declined
The neuter gender is assigned
Bebop, bebop
Examples fas and nefas give
And the Verb-Noun Infinitive
(This is too much for the masters who join rolicking in the chorus. The geese begin to quack and all the actors forget their lines. Curtain)
Much more besides, and the illustrations are, well, they're Ronald Searle. Get the book. Better yet, get the collected works. (If that's too lowbrow, there's always YLE)
posted by IndigoJones at 8:08 AM on July 1, 2005
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posted by gwint at 7:11 AM on June 30, 2005