Goodbye Blogspot (Hello Ning!)

Dear all---if there still anyone out there!

Here is a message in the bottle, for those who want to follow up on the vagaries of Latin (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) taught by yours truly. I thought it was time for an upgrade, and the IT gods suggested I try Ning.

I have gone ahead and started a site, and I can't wait to see what everyone is up to this year. Latin or not, you know it's all about Rome in final analysis!

Check it out

http://mylatinexperience.ning.com/

If you cannot sign up for it, send me an e-mail at emanolar@cas.usf.edu and I will send you an invitation to join.

Latina Vivat! See you in cyberspace,

Vestra

Eleni

A question...

So... I sometimes pick random passages in Latin and try to decipher every bit of the grammar and how each word functions in the sentence, et cetera. (I promise, it's only when I'm bored and feeling quite geeky.)

Today, I'm stumped on this one...

"... quia fortis est ut mors dilectio
dura sicut inferus aemulatio..." (from the Vulgate translation of Song of Solomon)

"... Because love is as strong as death
Envy as hard as hell..."

Why are "mors" and "inferus" in the nominative? (They are in the nominative, aren't they?) I'm assuming that it has something to do with this being verse, but I'm still wondering if there's a particular reason.


~ Rachael

Spock says Latin is logical.

:D


Latin Club T-Shirt, EHS, 2002 by ~OminousBaltross on deviantART

~Rachael

Vale Latin 1 and 2...

I had originally taken some Latin in high school, though when it came for me to meet the language requirement in order to graduate, I felt that my Latin knowledge had faded over the five years since I had had Latin in high school. Thus I opted not to take the test that determines your foreign language aptitude and can give you your foreign language credit if you pass. I’m glad that I decided to take both Latin 1 and 2. The class reminded and reinforced many of the things that I had learned in high school and very quickly even taught me new things. It was a good feeling being able to translate increasingly difficult passages throughout the two semesters and exercising my Latin ability in this manner truly gave me a sense of acquiring aptitude in another language. Though there is still more that I can learn about the language, I now feel confident in my ability to understand Latin, and I plan to continue my study of the language so that my Latin knowledge does not fade again.

Chris Griesbach

Latin today

I think Latin faces peculiar challenges in terms the Latin user’s maintenance of the language when compared to other foreign language options available in American schools. Unlike Spanish, French, German, Chinese, or even sign language, Latin is not used in contemporary society. Speaking a language in everyday interactions or at least on a regular basis is one of the most valuable methods for a speaker to exercise and reinforce their knowledge of the language, either “use it or lose it”. Latin, however, does not have this advantage. The basic curriculum for teaching Latin in America reflects this as well, as most school Latin programs do not stress the speaking of Latin but instead focus on written translation. The Latin user, therefore, has limited options when it comes to practicing and reinforcing their Latin abilities. There are, however, many texts written in Latin that one may translate in order to do this, such as “Metamorphoses” by Ovid or Virgil’s “Aeneid”. I, on the other hand, in order to maintain my Latin knowledge, have decided start on a smaller scale and have purchased “Winnie the Pooh” in Latin, which I plan on working through sometime this summer.

Chris Griesbach

Latin and history

Latin and the culture it is derived from is the foundation of of many Western cultures and languages. Understand a culture's language is imperative in fully understand the culture. Latin helps us into understanding our past. Many famous documents, such as the Bible, were originally written in Latin. It is important to fully understand the language in order to accurately translate if from one language to another.

Cassdiy Camantigue

Latin and medicine

I have just completed my second semester of latin. I originally took latin in the hope it would help prepare me for medical school. I learned a lot in the class, however I don't feel that much of what I learned will help me in medical school. I do feel that if I decide to learn another language that I will be better prepared since latin is the basis of many languages. Latin is a very challenging language.

Cassidy Camantigue

What Latin has taught me

Even though Latin is not actively spoken today, it is the foundation of many languages that still spoken. I took Spanish in high school. I noticed many similarities in the vocabulary and grammar. The verbs are conjugated very similarly in both languages. I also was surprised by how many words in English can be derived from Latin. I feel that taking Latin will make learning other languages simpler. Latin is a very challenging language to learn, which also makes it more rewarding. Latin is far from a “dead” language for it is the foundation from many modern spoken languages.

Cassidy Camantigue

The Roman Empire

This week I had a very humbling thought. With the state of our country and the tension world wide between other countries and the United States, I wondered how long the US will be around. I would like to think that the United states will be around forever, but who really knows how long this great country will last? I then thought about the Roman Empire and how it was the greatest empire of it's time and possibly the greatest empire of all time, and it too came to and end. Granted the Roman empire lasted for the better part of 1200 years but it to came to an end. But I thought of how the US has been around for only about 200 years and has already been involved in multiple wars. I can't help but wonder will this nation last for a long time like the roman empire, will it be recognizable in 1200 years, or will it come to an end long before that time?

Nathan Watts

It is finally over

Well, I took my last Latin test ever. That is if you don't count anatomy in medical school. Supposedly all the anatomical terms are derived from Latin. But I am ecstatic that Latin is over! Two long semester of studying and memorizing terms, conjugations, and declensions is finished. I did learn a lot, but going into the class I thought I would learn tons of Latin that I could directly relate to anatomy. Instead I spent most my term learning how to conjugate verbs and decline nouns and adjectives. I did learn how to do all that stuff and I do have a better understanding of Latin and the mindset of its originators. But what makes me happier than anything is that LATIN IS OVER!!!

Nathan Watts

Latin II.

I was a little nervous coming into this semester, however my fears eventually subsided. I feel this semester was a lot more intense than latin 1. There were so many new verb tenses, and I definitely didn't think we would get up to 5 noun declensions! It just seems crazy to sit here and realize how much we really learned this semester. This class has really made me feel very accomplished. I've taken a few spanish classes before, but none of them felt quite as rewarding as Latin. I have definitely picked up a great deal of appreciation for language. I also feel as if Latin has allowed me to have a different way of thinking. The way their culture is shaped is so different from ours. It's been really neat to read the little passages in our books and obtain such a unique way of thinking. I'm not certain whether I'm going into Latin III yet or not, but I really do enjoy latin.

Alyssa Rigolo

Horace and me

Ever since chapter 1 I have felt Horace's philosophy and outlook on life is similar to my own. Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero. I believe we must live for today and forget our troubled pasts. So I decided to investigate further and see what else in common we had. Sadley I was only able to skim through his first book of Odes. Heres some that I found and like:
Caelum ipsum petimus stultitia
Dum loquimur fugerit invida aetas
Siccis omnia nam dura deus proposuit neque mordaces aliter diffugiunt sollicitudines
Horace lived life to the max having fun and doing what he loved, I can only hope the rest of my days have the same outcome.
Dustin Rose

Final thoughts for this term...

And what a difficult term it has been! I had a hard time of it this term, keeping up with all the new material. I think I've managed to pick up on most things now, and even further grasp the concepts that I was having problems with. As I sit here writing this, I'm thinking of ways to stay up to date with Latin. I've collected the worksheets for the various chapters from the online folders, and even have in my possession now a Wheelock's Latin workbook. I'm also grateful to those who are sharing their information on other sources of material. I am sure that they will come in handy as the summer moves on. I am hoping to get a copy of the book for the Latin 3 course at some point, even if it is just to get a head start on making note cards. I hope everyone has a great summer, and for those of you heading into Latin 3, see you in the fall!!

Semper,
Candis B.

Farewell Cicero!

As the semester comes to a close, I will say farewell to dear Cicero...sarcasm anyone?  I am just kidding! I actually enjoyed Cicero and as a result have a newfound respect for him.  I came across a great site devoted to Cicero hosted by the University of Texas.  If you are interested in learning more about Cicero, it has a great chronology of his works AND an amazing bibliography section with the names of MANY articles and books. Enjoy!

http://www.utexas.edu/depts/classics/documents/Cic.html

Anne L.

More Latin Resources

Another site I used on and off this semester was Classics unveiled. They have sections on Classical mythology, Roman history, items about everyday life in Rome, and a section called Latin Wordstock (which contains both vocabulary in Latin and English derivatives of Latin).
Salvete!
Dawn M. Clark

Benefits of Latin

I think that Latin is one of the most useful languages I've tried to learn. I grew up in a Spanish program and learned a lot, but I think Latin has still been more beneficial. It's used everywhere I've discovered. Signs, books and medical terms all stem from this language. Even many of the worlds languages today have taken the Latin roots for their own meaning. I just think learning Latin vocab and how to efficiently translate has lead to to a better understanding of language in general.

It may have been tough for me to memorize at times, but it was truly worth it. I think Latin is a beautiful language and it is something everyone should look into because it really is transitory no matter what your native tongue is.

Parting Gifts

This is my last semester here and as an advanced Latin student I wanted to leave some parting gifts.  These are some great resources for students both who are new to Latin and the more advanced.  

This is the best online Latin dictionary EVER created...Ever.

http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe

This is a great database of Latin texts.  They are untranslated, but are great if you want to print out the Latin.

http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/

This is a database of both translated and untranslated texts.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/home.html

This is another great database of translated and untranslated texts.

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/

Enjoy!!!

Anne L.

Want to learn more about roman History?

My husband was a history major, and one of his favorite areas of study is Ancient Rome. This means that I often catch bits of materials he is using, like watching the HBO series Rome or listening to podcasts about Roman history on long car trips. Luckily, I too enjoy these things and consider continued curiosity about things part of what makes life worth living. The blogger's intent is to cover the history of Rome "beginning with Aeneas's arrival in Italy and ending (someday) with the exile of Romulus Augustulus, last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire." You can listen to the podcasts on-line, or download them for your computer or mp3 player. Mike Duncan, the blogger, also provides other materials such as images and maps. The old site is here on blogspot. The new site is on typepad. Gaude!

Dawn M. Clark

Latin study tools

Studying Latin is not something that has been coming easily for me. It seems I always need extra practice to get a concept down. This has led me to searching out other Latin resources on the internet. One of the items I found was a site called Study Stack. Study Stack is made to sync up with several different Latin textbooks, including Wheelock's, Cambridge, and more; But it is still useful. Lots of flash card and quiz exercises are available. i hope that some of you may find this website as helpful as I did.

Dawn M. Clark

Latin in Rome

Last summer I attended an archaeological field school in Sicily and had a three-day layover in Rome on the way. I took this time to see some of the historic sites in the eternal city, though for anyone who wants to know how much time they should spend in Rome, three days was not nearly enough time to see everything. In that time, however, I did check out some of the ancient Roman ruins and buildings still standing. There were Latin inscriptions on several of the buildings, and I’ve included pictures of inscriptions on the Pantheon and on a fragment of the Coliseum. Unfortunately, I was not able to understand these and other Latin inscriptions that I saw throughout the city. However, hopefully when I return to Rome someday to do all the things that I didn’t get to do the first time around, my knowledge of Latin that I have acquired over the last two semesters will help me appreciate the experience more =)

Chris Griesbach