SDMB Discipline Clvb (Er, Latin Clvb)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

There’s been a bit of SDMB interest in learning the lingua latina*, perhaps the eternal language dearest to my own heart. LNO and I have bravely volunteered to hold the fasces over any and all prospective Latin students. MsRobyn is, of course, also invited to partake in the glory that is Latin pedagogy.

For those who are really interested, you may purchase the text here. It’s a little pricey at nearly $30, but it’s a great text. It’s even a good resource for advanced students.

So whether you’re an expert, a rank newbie, or need a refresher, join up!

Deep down, you know you want to learn. Cicero wants you to learn, too. And he can be very persuasive.

2

I want to learn Latin. But you knew that.

3

Include me in, please! (But only if I can be the third person in the triumvirate. [yes, I know that, strictly speaking, I can’t be in a triumvirate {vir=man}, but we can pretend] [just kidding. I will settle for proconsul] :D)

And remember: Damnant quod non intellegunt!

Robin

4

I’m still going over it in my head. A (nearly) free class in a language I’ve always sorta wanted to learn, or should I not waste the brainpower on it and learn acoustics like my boss wants me to? And how little acoustics do I really need to learn to impress him that I’ve become our corporate acoustics geek?

Hmmmm, several tenses that don’t exist in English, nouns that ALL have a gender, a language I could NEVER use in real life…I don’t know. Could be fun in a masochistic way.

5

I knew you’d be in, Mnem. Let us know when you get the text.

MsRobyn, you can certainly be part of the triumvir. We can even rename it duumviretfemina if you like.

And Latin is only masochistic for the first few years, drop. Then it actually becomes fun. :wink:

MR

6

Even though I’m sure everyone’s heard this before, you really do get out of Latin what you put into it. If you pick up the textbook, attend to the lessons, chant your declensions until they bubble out of your head and onto your pillow while you sleep, and start shouting rebuttals at the inanities of Seneca (and he is inane, Maeglin), then you’re going to have a strong grounding in the language and will be happy, rich, healthy, and people of your sexual preference will flock around you.

If you give it a half-hearted effort, and don’t pay attention to the basics, then a little ways down the line you’ll be lost, confused, frustrated, annoyed, angry, and wondering where all the attractive people are. (Hint: they’re flocking around the people who bought the textbook.)

7

(Also, whereas Amazon is currently out of stock on the textbook with an estimated ship date of 1-2 weeks, Barnes & Noble has it in stock at the same price and can ship immediately. Same day delivery in Manhattan, too.)

8

All I remember from H.S. Latin class:

Puer puellam pugnat.

And frog = rana, right?

I can’t afford the textbook for another 2 weeks or so, but when that shining day comes, I’m in. Like dropzone, I like the masochistic element.

9

Okay, I sometimes give the Latin responses under my breath in church, which is especially bad considering the Lutherans haven’t used Latin in their liturgy for about five hundred years, but I’m still not sure about this.

However, I have a Latin Joke!

What’s the Pope’s phone number?

Et cum spiritu tuo.

<rimshot>

10

I have seven years of Latin behind me… could i be a classroom assistant? I’ve got an A Level in it and i’ve studied Catullus, Virgil, J. Caesar, Ovid and sundry others. I loved Latin at school. As an added bonus, i have a GCSE in Ancient Greek too (grade A - i know, i’m great).

Repeat after me:

Puella, puellam, puellae…

11

That’s it.

Class, our first reading will be Seneca. We will continue to read Seneca until LNO discovers the error of his ways and recants utterly. Utterly. Utterly.

Francesca, welcome aboard. I do Greek as well…perhaps for those who are interested, we can expand later. Not sure how we would do the font here, though…

MR

12

See, now I face a dilemma.

Do I insist that Seneca is sophomoric and refuse to acquiesce? Is this a matter of pride?

Or do I consider the greater good and submit, thus saving the students from an eternity (and it WILL seem like one, class) of mindless prattle?

Ah, choices, choices.

[sub]And I STILL think that Winnie-ille-Pu should be required reading.[/sub]

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Oh yay! I loved Winnie-ille-Pu!

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[quote[Do I insist that Seneca is sophomoric and refuse to acquiesce? Is this a matter of pride?

                     Or do I consider the greater good and submit, thus saving the students from an eternity (and it WILL seem like one, class) of mindless
                     prattle?[/quote]

You read the Thyestes and then tell me it’s mindless prattle.

This from a person who admits to having read Winnie-ille-Pu.

Dunno why I bother.

15

I am not a masochist.

[whining] But, Maeglin, I thought we were going to read Vergil or some other dead white guy who wrote in a dead language. [/whining] I’d do Seneca in a minute too :D. In English, I mean.

16

Point, set, match.

Ok, I’ll read Seneca and quit whining.

17

We were, but that kinda…well, you know. The thread’s still there. Feel free to resurrect it.

MR

18

Wow! This’d be really cool.

I’m going to go into classics in University in the winter, this’d be a great head-start. But… umm… we’re not expected to have any prior knowledge of the language, are we?

(side note: I’m also trying to learn Ancient Egyptian, if anyone here knows anything about it, please email me!)

19

Sounds like fun, but I already have thirty thousand Latin text books in my room.

Studi

20

No prior knowledge is necessary. However, without prior knowledge, the first few lessons will be crucial. So pay attention and stop playing footsie with the moderators.

A very unofficial list of interested parties:
Maeglin
LNO
MsRobyn
Mnementh
dropzone
magdalene
Francesca
LaurAnge

The first person to purchase the textbook gets a free “Get out of corporal punishment free” card.