On studying Latin
Yes, I am one of those freakish non-Catholics who actually had four years of Latin in high school. Why, you ask, would you have taken Latin? I don’t remember. I guess it just seemed like a good idea at the time.
I remember spending most of my junior year translating Caesar’s Conquest of Gaul from Latin to English. I don’t remember a single sentence from it. I’m not even sure I remember why Caesar bothered to conquer Gaul in the first place. Now, I wouldn’t know a veni from a vidi. I did go out with a Vici in college though.
I know I spent a lot of time doing verb tense and participle writing exercises. If I saw “Sum, Sumus, and Sunt” in writing today, I would think it was talking about a law firm.
Do you want to know what I can recall from four year’s worth of Latin classes?
Semper ubi sub ubi. (Always wear underwear).
I remember spending most of my junior year translating Caesar’s Conquest of Gaul from Latin to English. I don’t remember a single sentence from it. I’m not even sure I remember why Caesar bothered to conquer Gaul in the first place. Now, I wouldn’t know a veni from a vidi. I did go out with a Vici in college though.
I know I spent a lot of time doing verb tense and participle writing exercises. If I saw “Sum, Sumus, and Sunt” in writing today, I would think it was talking about a law firm.
Do you want to know what I can recall from four year’s worth of Latin classes?
Semper ubi sub ubi. (Always wear underwear).
posted by HCaldwell | 6:44 AM
3 Comments:
Thank you. By the way, I really liked "Slammin the Pixie". Reminded me of childhood summer visits to the southern side of my family. (You just can't get good greens north of the Mason-Dixon line.)
I did Latin and Ancient Greek in high school and have to admit I don't remember much of it either. However, I do find it is so useful to have learnt these now dead languages, as so many words in medicine and law originate from them. Makes you feel clever when you visit the doctor and he tells you cholectomy and you say, 'Yes, I know, that is Greek for Gallbladder removal surgery'!
Heh heh :-)))
Yes, it also helps when reading gravestones and monuments. I am just jealous of people who can visit another country and are able to actually ask where the toilet is located. For us former students of dead languages, only time travel can make that possible. (sigh)
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