Kevin's Watch

This thread is all Greek to me.

Or is that double Dutch

Phantasm wrote:This thread is all Greek to me.

I only found out the other day that this is one of the many everyday phrases originally coined by Shakespeare.

CovenantJr wrote:

Phantasm wrote:This thread is all Greek to me.

I only found out the other day that this is one of the many everyday phrases originally coined by Shakespeare.

We owe much to the Bard, including many of our American slang and curse words. But a rich literary heritage as well.



~Lyr

CovenantJr wrote:

Phantasm wrote:This thread is all Greek to me.

I only found out the other day that this is one of the many everyday phrases originally coined by Shakespeare.

From Julius Caesar Act I

CASSIUS
Did Cicero say any thing?

CASCA
Ay, he spoke Greek.

CASSIUS
To what effect?

CASCA
Nay, an I tell you that, Ill ne'er look you i' the
face again: but those that understood him smiled at
one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own
part, it was Greek to me......

For an entertaining and informative look at the English language, I suggest that any interested parties read The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got That Way by Bill Bryson. He manages to have a light hand with it--it isn't a textbook, but an amusing look at our language. I own a copy, and can tell you that there is an entire chapter devoted to curse words--chapter 13, I believe. It is very interesting to read the etymology of our current swear words, and sometimes quite shocking for Americans to realize what those cute little wizard children in that one movie have been running around saying. Reading that chapter certainly enlightened me. . . in many ways!


Ahhh. . . language! I love it! But now, onto Latin once more.

Now we are going to use that which I taught you back on the first page: the first declension verbs. Just come along for the ride, and maybe it will come back to you in time.

We are going to practice conjugating some of our first declension verbs. Remember that each verb has 5 possible endings that can be put on the stem. These endings indicate who or what is doing the action.

For review:
-o ="I"; -s="you" (s); -t= "he/she/it"; -mus= "we"; -tis= "you" (pl); -nt= "they"

Now, also remember that in Latin all verbs can mean one of three tenses: e.g I love; I do love; I am loving.

Okay, now on to translating.
1) We are going to translate each of these words three ways: amamus, amant, amatis, amo, amas. Please follow along at home if you would like.

amamus: we love, we do love, we are loving
amant: they love, they do love, they are loving
amatis: you love. you do love, you are loving
amo: I love, I do love, I am loving
amas: you love, you do love, you are loving

How'd you do? Great, I bet!

2) Translate amat nine ways.

amat: he loves, he does love, he is loving, she loves, she does love, she is loving, it loves, it does love, it is loving.

Easy, right!

3)Translate each phrase into one Latin word: we do love; they are loving; you (s) love; you (pl) do love; to love

amamus; amant; amas; amatis; amare

4) Now add non, "not", and translate: non amamus ("not we love, i.e. "we do not love"): non amant; non amat; non amatis.

non amant: they do not love
non amat: he, she, it dos not love
non amatis: you do not love

5) Now translate the following into Lating using non: they do not love; she does not love; you (pl) do not love

they do not love: non amant
she does not love: non amat
you do not love: non amatis


Okay. . you made it through today's exercises! Wonderful! You've translated real Latin! You're on your way now!

Just one more tidbit of Latin for you. . .

Caelum, non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt.
They change the sky, but not their souls, who hasten across the sea.
(Horatius, Epistulae)

Okay, no replies for 4 days. . . does this mean that we have lost interest in Latin? I hope not, but if so I will let this thread die gracefully.

One more Latin saying:

Dum inter homines sumus, colamus humanitatem.
As long as we are among humans, let us be humane.
(Seneca Philosophus, De ira)

Ex Ignorantia, Scientia. Ex Amore, Ipsissimus.


God, it's been a long time.

CONTINUE.

facta, non verba

Esmer wrote:facta, non verba

Mater Tui!

esse quam videri

Volo Sui Caedere.

Cosi vivo piacer conduce a morte. . .

Quidquid mea cara dicis aliam caro est.

Non Solum Similis Cicero Sed Etiam Peior.

I'm going to have to start trying to pick this up again. I know I'm making countless Gramaticos roll in their graves.

Dear Latin. . . so very regular, yet so very vague. Let me see. . .

Emotional Leper wrote:Quidquid mea cara dicis aliam caro est.

Whatever my dear (says, names) (flesh) is.

Emotional Leper wrote:Non Solum Similis Cicero Sed Etiam Peior.

Not only resembling Cicero, but even worse.

Wyldewode wrote:Dear Latin. . . so very regular, yet so very vague. Let me see. . .

Emotional Leper wrote:Quidquid mea cara dicis aliam caro est.

Whatever my dear (says, names) (flesh) is.

Emotional Leper wrote:Non Solum Similis Cicero Sed Etiam Peior.

Not only resembling Cicero, but even worse.

Caro, Carare - Care, care about/for.

As to the second one:

Spot on!

I had to dig out a dictionary for that. . .

carus : dear, beloved / costly, high-priced, expensive
caro : (carnis f.) flesh, meat.

I just had to guess. *shrugs*

So what was the first one supposed to say again?

Wyldewode wrote:I had to dig out a dictionary for that. . .

carus : dear, beloved / costly, high-priced, expensive
caro : (carnis f.) flesh, meat.

I just had to guess. *shrugs*

So what was the first one supposed to say again?

Which dictionary are you using? My old beat up one lists Caro. It doesn't say whether it's Classical or Vulgar latin, though.

Whatever you say, my Dear, I care.

I'm trying to remember why there's an extra est in there.
Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Ah. . . that would make more sense. The est and the cara threw me off. . . As I said, dear old Latin is vague at the best of times.

Wyldewode wrote:Ah. . . that would make more sense. The est and the cara threw me off. . . As I said, dear old Latin is vague at the best of times.

Particularly when you don't put the verb at the end of the clause.