Clarity

First year latin for me is going much better than I expected. I originally chose the class in hopes that it would improve my vocabulary. Furthermore, I imagined it would help tremendously with word root recognition since I'm a biomedical science major. However, to my surprise, it has done much more than this; it is beginning to truly shape my understanding of english grammer. I honestly was not expecting to learn about english when I undoubtedly enrolled for latin. But each time we learn something new in class: a new declension, a new conjugation, a new case; we also learn its equivalent in english - something I barely skimmed over in middle school english classes. Learning how to properly use these new latin words in their correct forms and context has shed some light on the english language for me. I really think it'll enable me to become a better english speaker & writer, and am pretty excited to continue tackling the subject.

Kim

A picture says a thousand words

VICTORY!!!!

Thank you all so much for your suggestions!! I got a 100 % on the second quiz! I mixed up the pluperfect active subjunctive and the pluperfect passive subjunctive, but I knew what I had done the second I saw the key. I also felt more comfortable with English to Latin composition, although I need to brush up on my participles. This victory was exactly what I needed to help me get through the piles of homework I still have left to do this week.

On a side note, I'd like to mention a Latin related irritant of mine, since this seems like the best forum. When I'm not studying, I play online games. It has become a custom to come up with a catchy and symbolic Latin phrase to name guilds in the games. It gives me some pride in my fellow Latinists to see the interesting combinations that some people come up with. I was HORRIFIED to encounter a guild with the name: Dominus Pugnea. I have expressed my horror to all of my friends and anyone else who will listen (incidently the only one who listened teaches English grammar to highschool kids, thankless job I'm sure). I believe the intended translation is Lords (plural, not singular) of battle (1st declension feminine singular). What bothers me most is that the person who constructed the guild name didn't care enough to get it right and no one really cares that its wrong. I don't even think "pugnea" is a latin word is it?? Anyway, thanks for tolerating my crazed ranting!

Jessica

In Latin 3 and Scared/Proud/Scrambling to keep up!

I apologize in advance for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. For some odd reason I am better at both in foreign languages. For background info: My name is Jessica. I took Latin 1 with Antonio, and Latin 2 with Professor M. this past fall and spring respectively. Now I am wondering if I would have done better to take them over the summer so that the information would have had less time to get lost in my mind!

My biggest concern right now is keeping the information that we're learning now from getting mixed up with the things I'm reviewing from last semester. For instance, I was reviewing the passive voice indicative mood before the first test. When we learned the passive voice subjunctive mood, they got all mixed up in my head. I spent so much time trying to straighten them out that I didn't study some of the vocabulary as carefully as I should have and couldn't remember the perfect stem for veto, vetare. It's so frustrating because I know that I have learned these things. I passed Latin 2 with an A, and I want an A in Latin 3, but I feel overwhelmed.

My current study practice is to write my vocabulary x5 several times a week. I do all of the homework available in the book, actively follow along in doing the class worksheets, and then bring them home and do them again on my own. Does anyone have any suggestions, other than writing them over and over again, for how to remember the verb conjugations? I have the active present down, and the active subjunctive, but the passive is really giving me trouble. Maybe I'll ask for more worksheets. I just feel like I should have it down pat by now.

I hope to become a more regular addition to the blog, but I'm trying to finish a second BA and a Master's degree at the same time, so we'll see. Wish me luck! (and hope I don't need it!)

~Jessica

Musica delenit bestiam feram (Or at least the Savage Sara)

In looking for some good background music for my Vampires in Rome game I'm finally running (I'll have to share my experiments with Roman cuisine some other time), I came across this awesome CD by a group named Synaulia:



The music is only a modern interpretation of what Ancient Roman music may have sounded like,
but it does utilize appropriate period instruments. I picked up an MP3 version of the album ($8.99!) after listening to the sound sampling on Amazon.com. I'm not only using the music for my game, I'm also listening to it while plugging away at my self-taught Latin III/IV.

http://www.amazon.com/Music-Ancient-Rome-vol-1/dp/B000QQX2AS/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1221093434&sr=8-1

- Sara C. -
Resident Oddball

Latin Sudy Group

Hi everybody! I was wondering if any of y'all would want to start a study group for Latin? Maybe once a week, or even just whenever we can work our schedules out to meet up? I definitely think it would help us all out. Besides, it gets kinda lonely studying Latin by oneself, lol. :)Shannon

(PS from EM: Shannon, I took the liberty of copying your e-mail to the blog, so that the 004 section could see it too. Let me know if it works out, I think that a study group is a great idea for all classes and esp. for Latin.

BTW, the picture is from the closing ceremonies of the recent Olympics---boy, these people certainly showed the world what a group project is all about! I hope you guys get to be as tight and coordinated!).

Office Hours?

Hey Professor M...

I'm wondering what your office hours are this semester. I'd like to stop by and say "Hi!" sometime this week or next, but since I don't have a regular parking pass anymore and I'll have to get a visitor's permit, I want to make sure you'll be there. I tried sending you an e-mail last week, but didn't get a response... Probably the rush and confusion of the first week of classes or it got lost in the jumble...

~Rachael