Archive for 'Latin Language'
De origine latinae linguae (About the origin of Latin) Posted by leire on Dec 15, 2011
Before returning to the lessons on grammar, syntax and purely linguistic subjects, let’s place Latin language’s origin on it’s geographical and historical context. A few tens of kilometers from the mouth of the Tiber River was a region of marshy plains and hills sparsely populated in prehistoric times. Is the region of Rome and since…
Latin Shorthand Posted by kunthra on Aug 31, 2011
The ancient Romans used shorthand or abbreviations just like we do today. Here is a list of Latin shorthand that you might not have realized were Latin in origin! (1) Vs. (2) t.i.d. (3) stat (4) RIP (5) m.o. (6) m.p. (7) MA (8) i.e. (9) et al. (10) ca. (11) ad lib (12) sig…
Horace’s Odes Posted by kunthra on Aug 26, 2011
Horace’s Carmina is a four volume book of odes. Book 1 Poem 11 contains the most famous line attributed to Horace: “carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero” (1) Many of Horace’s poems are personal letters written to his friends. In Book 1 Poem 33, Horace comforts the heartbroken poet Tibullus: “Albi, ne doleas plus nimio…
Persius Posted by kunthra on Aug 15, 2011
Aulus Persius Flaccus was an ancient Roman satirist who did not hold back when it came to criticizing philosophers, rulers and even the poor. Perhaps it was due to the fact that his father and stepfather died when he was young that led him to develop a cynical view towards people, but his satires were…
Cicero’s Writings Posted by kunthra on Aug 8, 2011
We are lucky to still have remanants of Cicero’s writings. These writings have left us with a wealth of wise and thoughtful quotes. This quote is a good example of Cicero’s poetic elegance even in the midst of a debate: “O tempora, o mores” (1) We still use this phrase today: “Suum cuique” (2) His…
Ovid Posted by kunthra on Jul 31, 2011
Amores is the Latin poet Ovid’s first completed work of poetry. His poems are typical to other Latin poets for its unrequited love, but it stands out from other poetry for its use of humor. We’ll get to see some of this humor later on, but first let’s find out who the object of his…
Latin Hymn Posted by kunthra on Jul 30, 2011
The song ‘O filii et filiae’ was a hymn dated around 1494! Sinead O’Connor gives her rendition of the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBVt8qrM94k O filii et filiae, Rex caelestis, Rex gloriae morte surrexit hodie Alleluia Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia Ex mane prima Sabbati ad ostium monumenti accesserunt discipuli. Alleluia Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia Et Maria Magdalene, et Iacobi…