The Office, what a bizarre show. There might be a lot of exaggeration, but, I like it.
Ok, Latin. Why did I ever say I wanted to learn this stupid language. Stephanie, and that English Comp book. Why did I take that book? I guess I knew what was coming, where it would land me, and I wanted to leave an illusion open because I couldn't accept my failure. School was stupid, in many ways, but that is no excuse for not paying attention. I had all the tools to do more with my education than most of the people in school. I have a good brain, quick at making connections and great in memory. Was it marijuana, was it teenage angst? I don't know right now, I'm retracing my steps and making better decisions this time. I don't know if it will make my life better, but if I don't try I know it will seal my fate. I'll become a very smart ordinary person. I'll be a boring book. I'll sit on a shelf, and what will I give to my children. How will I make a difference for the story of mankind?
It might be a stupid language. It probably isn't at all, and I said I would do this. Here goes.
Starting over at Chapter 1:
The Five Characteristics of Verba -
Persona - a verbum relates to the subject, the action is performed by or upon the subject
Numerus - depending on the number of subjects the form of the verbum will alter. id est, he does versus they do
Tempus - the same is true for when the action occurs. There are six Latin tenses, present future, imperfect, perfect(aka present perfect), future perfect and pluperfect(plus quam perfectum - more than perfect)(aka past perfect)
Modus - the type of action, statement of fact, request of action, and theoretical action
Vox - the indicator of performance or reception
Ok, I put all that up, and it is all important, In this chapter the time, mood and voice will all pretty much stay the same. Like Spanish, the personal view and the number of participants are was is focused on early. I don't know if this is good or not, I don't know much Spanish even though I remember o, as, a, amos, ais, an. Anyway conjugating a verb means to show it in all it's possible forms. There are many possible forms in Latin so, I will learn o, s, t, mus, tis, and nt to start with.
I'm learning two groups of verbs first, the first declension and the second declension. These are two groups that are formed similarly. It's like taking all the verbs that end in ed in a certain case and putting them together.
I get my first glimpse at Latin verbs I'll be working with in the present infinitive active form. I think understanding the five characteristics of verbs is important so I will state that an infinitive isn't limited by person and number. It only indicates tense and voice. The mood isn't mentioned and I can only guess it's very complicated since this form(in English it is formed by adding to before a present active verb i.e. to make) can fit any of the three moods.
Translations - the fun part -
Labor me vocat.
Vocat is third person singular so this is someone or something calling me to labor.
It calls me to labor.
Mone me, amabo te, si erro.
ok, first amabo te is an idiom which means please. Taken out of the sentence there are two verbs, I'm horrible at grammar, so even though I can translate this I don't think I'm getting the most of the effort. Mone is in the present active infinitive, it simply means advise and me still means me. So we have advise me, please, si erro. This is a plea from the speaker to some unknown person, presumably someone with more wisdom than the plaintiff. Si simply means if, erro is first person singular so it means I err. So, the verb is to err and the subject is the speaker.
Please advise me if I err.
Festina lente.
Festinare to hasten is in the present active infinitive, it refers to neither person nor number. It simply conveys hasten. Lente, an adjective means slowly. Thus:
Hasten slowly. Or, Make haste slowly.
Laudas me; culpant me.
I like this sentence, it is based on some unknown original and I feel a lot of reality behind it. First compound sentence!
You praise me; They blame me.
Saepe peccamus.
More boring but, it is interesting to see the meaning in two words.
Often we sin.
Quid debemus cogitare?
What ought we to think? I think that grammatically checks out, cogitare means to think, and since re is there I believe I am obligated to keep it so that the present infinitive active is preserved. However the thinking proposed is to be done by us, so the number as person are both expressed, it wouldn't make sense, however, if cogitamus were used. What ought we we think. And, I like the definition must best.
What must we think?
Conservate me!
Maintain me!
Rumor volat.
Another awkward literal. Rumor he flies. I wish I had a teacher to double check that my interpretation fits.
His rumor flies.
Me non amat.
She loves, not, me. Me amat, me non amat.
She loves me not.
Nihil me terret.
Nothing, me, it does terrify. Another shifty sentence.
Nothing it does terrifies me.
Apollo me saepe servat.
Apollo me often he serves. Simple enough, the he refers to Apollo, thus:
Apollo often serves me.
Salvete! - quid videtis? Nihil videmus.
Greetings! - what do you see? We see nothing.
Saepe nihil cogitas.
Epic burn, the previous sentence was probably a shaky Seape cogito(I often think).
You often think of nothing.
Bis das, si cito das.
Ancient proverb apparently(professional words) bis is twice, doubt I'll run into that again soon, cito is the opposite of lente, curious I got both of those in the first chapter. You give twice, if you quickly give. The book thinks I should figure out what this means, don't be desperate, you'll look bad. True dat.
Twice given, if quickly given.
Si vales, valeo.
I guess this is similar to a dear sir in the history of letter writing.
If you are strong, I am strong.
Romans were obsessed with strength, vale appears to have been a common parting sentiment.
What does he see?
Quid vides?
So, the author is throwing around does eh?
They are giving nothing.
Nihil dant.
You ought not to praise me.
Me lauda non debes.
If I err, he often warns me.
Si erro, saepe mones.
If you love me, save me, please!
Si me amat, salve me, amabo te.
Ok, now it's tough, I have a reading from Horace to translate, then I can actually translate some stuff with a key.
Maecenas et Vergilius me hodie vocant. Quid cogitare debeo? Quid debeo respondere? Si erro, me saepe monent et culpant; si non erro, me laudant. Quid hodie cogitare debeo?
Maecenas and Virgil call me today. What ought I think? What ought I reply? If I make a mistake, they often advice and censure me; if I don't make mistakes, they praise me. What should I think today?
Not so bad, I'm sure reading this is a bitch though. Ok, a few tidbits from the end of the chapter.
Quid est nomen tibi?
Nomen mihi est Sean.
And, ioci terribiles - terrible jokes.
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Excersizes
ReplyDelete1) he we i they you you
2)Present Infinitive Active to advise to see to be strong to owe
3) Present Active Infinitive to advise to see to be strong to owe
4) Present Active Imperative Singular call save give think praise love advise see be strong
5) Present Active Imperative Plural you call you save you give you think you praise you love you advise you see you be strong
6) he calls we think they love you owe he sees they see we owe you be strong you all err we see she loves you all see you err they give we save he gives they love you see
7) If I err they advise me.
8) He advises me if they err.
9) If he errs advise me.
10) You ought to advise me.
11) You ought to save me.
12) They should not praise me.
13) What does he give? Often he gives nothing.
14) They often call me and advise me.
15) I see nothing. What do you see?
16) Praise me if I don't err, please.
17) If you are well, we are well.
18) If he is strong, I am strong.
19) If she loves me, she ought to praise me.
20) You preserve me.
21) I ought not err.
22) What ought we to praise?
23) He sees; he ponders; he advises.