Welcome to Latin 1011. Why learn Latin?

2. Latin you know

1. Why learn Latin?

The Foreign Language requirement

To understand “grammar”

“To think more clearly and systematically”

To learn the history of the Romance languages that descended from Latin (Spanish, Italian, French, Romanian, etc.)

To trace a major historical influence on English language (though not directly “descended” from Latin)

1. Why learn Latin? (cont.)

To know “the lingua franca of western civilization”

To understand specialist vocabularies (medicine, botany, Catholicism, etc.)

“To know a dead language” …

To read: Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis Alicia in Terra Mirabili Winnie ille Pu

1. Why learn Latin? (cont.)

To learn the language of a living ancient community (the Romans):

Inscriptions (graffiti from Pompeii, c. 59 CE)

CAMPĀNĪ, VICTŌRIĀ ŪNĀ CUM NŪCERĪNĪS PERĪSTIS

“Campanians, in victory you perished together with the Nucerians”

Cf. HBO Rome opening credits:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BZmK3_IIZg

1. Why learn Latin? (cont.)

To learn the language of a living ancient community (the Romans):

Literature (from Vergilius Vaticanus manuscript, c. 400 CE; Aeneas describes his voyage; Aeneid 3.681–89)

praecipitis metus acer agit quocumque rudentisexcutere et uentis intendere uela secundis.

“Our terror drove us headlong—anywhere.

We let the sails out for the wind to take.”

—trans. Ruden

2. Latin you know

What do you know?

2. Latin you know (cont.)

Further examples:

semper fi = semper fidelise pluribus unumprima facievice versaante meridiemin vino veritasminutiaedesideratacasus bellideus ex machinaveni, vidi, vicialea iacta esthabeas corpus

always faithfulfrom one, manyon first impressionthe situation turned aroundbefore noonin wine, truthsmall detailsthings desiredincident of/for wargod from the machine (stage-crane)I came, I saw, I conqueredthe die has been castyou can have the body

2. Latin you know (cont.)

Further examples:

carpe diemstatus quo (ante)sine qua nonquid pro quoreferendumreferendaagenda

seize the daythe state in which (earlier)without which notone thing for anothera referralitems to be referredthings to be done

2. Latin you know (cont.)What do the examples let you say …

About the role played by Latin in modern American and anglophone discourse?

About the ways in which the grammatical rules of Latin may differ from English?

2. Latin you know (cont.)For next class-meeting :

Read Intro to Latin pp. 1–3 on pronunciation: How much of Latin pronunciation did you already know, and how

much could you have guessed?