Saturday 6 February 2016

Lexicon Januale Comenii

A couple of scans of Comenius' useful Lexicon Januale have now appeared online, at Europeana.

The Lexicon Januale is a student level dictionary, that gives the roots of words. Unusually, Comenius designed it so that the student has to write the entire dictionary out by hand, to form full entries for each word. This was a deliberate tactic.

Here is the Lexicon Januale: one of the only student level Latin-Latin dictionaries ever to be published.





Latin Playlists from the Latinum Videocast

Latin Playlists from Molendinarius:

1. Colloquia Latina - Scripted Latin Conversations 



5. Virgil's Eclogues with Latin paraphrase, translation and notes

6.  Attic Greek - a few introductory lessons using the restored classical Attic pronunciation scheme.

7.  Easy Latin Readings for Students









14. The London Latin Course (English and Latin)







20. Material Medica with interlinear translation - vocabulary building Latin Scientific Vocabulary


Tuesday 2 February 2016

Dictionaries that are Latino-Latinum

There are a few Latino-Latinum dictionaries around, but few 'pocket' ones.


Formulae latinarum locutionum illustriorum. Stephano Doleto Gallo Aurelio has a selection of definitions and phrases.


There are a few other useful dictionaries and lexica - though most are for 'walled gardens' of vocabulary for specific subject areas or a particular corpus of work. Apart from the ones mentioned already, (apologies if some of these have already been noted) I can think of:-



Gradus ad Parnassum - not strictly a dictionary, but it gives synonyms and antonyms, so often enough detail to work out what a word means, assuming you already have a baseline vocabulary.

Hortulus Puerorum

 Lexicon Ciceronianum

Lexicon Technologiae Latinorum Rhetoricae

Perfectissimus Calepinus Parvus

Calepinus - Latinae atque adeo etiam Graecae Linguae Dictionarium

Glossarium Eroticum Linguae Latinae

 Thesaurus Eroticus Linguae Latinae



Robert Étienne's Thesaurus
- Gesner's Novus Thesaurus 

- Forcellini's Totius Latinitatis Lexicon
- Wagner's Lexicon Latinum


Sunday 31 January 2016

Eclecta Puerilia

Matthew Raine's 'Eclecta Puerilia'

Matthew Raine's 'Eclecta Puerilia' was published in Newcastle, in 1768.

The book presents itself as a Latin reader for beginners - and it follows a course of training, not untypical of that followed by an eighteenth century schoolboy.

The initial section somewhat mirrors Comenius' Vestibulum of the Latin Language, but is more structured, with an emphasis on simple verbal forms (The present tense, past tense,and imperative).

The second level has longer sentences, followed by a series of proverbs and simple expressions.

Following on from this, the student is introduced to a selection of simple Colloquia, drawn from Corderius.

Subsequent to this, a selection of Latin Fables.

Next in order, comes a section called 'Colloquia Sacra', an extensive section, which appears to be drawn from Castellio's Dialogorum Sacrorum.


Sunday 24 January 2016

Latinum's Free Latin Course for Spoken Latin

I am new to Latin. What do you recommend for me?

The complete Adler Audio Course is now available on Patreon.

I have the following beginners materials on YouTube:

1. Cursum Latinum Molendinarii Pars I (Free) (Latin taught using only Latin)





5. The London Latin Course (Free) (Latin taught with some English explanations)

6. Conversational Latin (Free) (Latin and English phrases)

Monday 18 January 2016

Do you want to learn Latin?

Do you want to learn Latin? 

I mean, really learn Latin? 


As the sidebar navigation does not work in all browsers, please use the SITE MAP button to navigate this site if needed. 
If you do, you have landed in the right place.

"Longum iter est per praecepta, breve et efficax per exempla."

With Latinum, you will not need a classroom, or a teacher. If you follow the course I am selling here, you will come to master this language, both as a speaker, and a reader.  You will learn to think in Latin, and be able to write in Latin.

Where to begin?
The central pillar of the course on offer here, uses Adler's Magnum Opus, "A Practical Grammar of the Latin Language". Evan der Millner has turned this into a thorough Audio Course - which contains much more material than in the book. The audio is not just an accompaniment to the book - it can be used as a stand-alone. (Someone who is partially sighted or blind could successfully use these materials to learn Latin) .
The audio materials don't only teach; they also have extensive review materials for consolidation.

 Adler will teach you detailed formal grammar, with vast quantities of practical conversational examples, and examples from the classical texts, using restored classical pronunciation. You will learn through example. As Seneca said , "Longum iter est per 

praecepta, breve et efficax per exempla."  The road is long,  if you learn only using rules. 

It is short and efficient if you learn by way of example.
Adler's Audio Course course should take you from one to five years to complete, (Rome wasn't built in a day!) with some daily application; perhaps it will take you longer if you only work at it intermittently. This is an audio course. You can learn in the gym , in a car, or out walking.
Adler's course is suitable for beginners, but even a more advanced student, unaccustomed to spoken idiomatic Latin, will gain a vast amount from it, as it covers far more ground than any other Latin course currently available. My Adler course has been used successfully by both complete beginners and advanced PhD students of Latin. (Testimonials)
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Following on from Adler, you will need to do two a few more things: -
1. Expand your repertoire of conversational and textual examples, and
2. Build your vocabulary.

 I have developed a series of materials that will help you do this, and over the next few years, 
you are advised to work your way through the audio materials presented here, perhaps 
selecting three or so items a year. 

A recommended starting point is Comenius  , which can be started at the same time as Adler.
The Comenius Vestibulum and the Comenius Orbis Sensualium Pictus do not teach 
grammar explicitly, they are 'easy readers' that focus on building a foundational vocabulary.

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Once you are more advanced, you can start to listen regularly to the Latin-only materials. The importance of using audio cannot be stressed too much -it forces you to approach Latin as a language, reading in the natural word order. Most Latin students become masters as decoding, and re-assembly. My course is not a translation course. All the materials here have one goal - to get you thinking in Latin, and reading and understanding Latin, with Latin in your head.
LATINUM'S LATIN LANGUAGE SOCIAL NETWORK - THE FOEDUS LATINUM
In 2008, Evan der Millner created the Foedus Latinum which is now the largest and most active dedicated network of Latin language social networks in the world. If you want to use your Latin actively, and contact other people who are learning Latin, in a friendly community, check out the FOEDUS.

Saturday 9 January 2016

Latin Language Chatroom on SKYPE

The Latin Language Chatroom on Skype is buzzing:
Join the LOCUTORIUM LATINUM




ANGLICE:
If you want to chat by SKYPE, we have a Chatroom set up for Latinum on Skype, where you can text-chat, send pictures to one another, and also have voice chats.

The link that will take you directly to the LOCUTORIUM LATINUM Skype group is:

Join up!

If you don't remember this link, you can always find it on the SKYPE tab on Schola.


Salvete et Vos Consodales,

Si per SKYPEN (Skype) confabulari vis, habemus LOCUTORIUM LATINUM apud Skype, et possis illic confabulari per litteras, picturas ad alios emittere, et viva voce quoque sermonem habere.

Junge Te!
SKYPE
Ecce vinculum ad gregem:


Vinculum ad gregem invenies apud Schola in 'tab' sub nomine "SKYPE"


Friday 1 January 2016

Tables of comparison for Latin Cases


Please go to the Latinum Website, at

  Latinum.org.uk

Latin Grammar

Over the course of putting my Latinum course together, I noted a few things about textbooks that teach grammar - the material is not usually structured for optimal memorisation. Material is presented in grammatical categories that have been chosen for good philological reasons, not for ease of learning.

For example, playing around with the ordering of the declensions makes for a system that can be learned very quickly indeed: Additional learning tables can be found here: Cases compared to the nominative singular.

The following tables are of the case endings for the five Latin declensions.


SINGULARS

CASEIIIIIIIIIIV
NOMINATIVEAUSCLONES TRAXUSES
VOCATIVEAECLONES TRAXUSES
ACCUSATIVEAMUMEMUMEM
ABLATIVEAOEUE
DATIVEAEOIUIEI
GENITIVEAEIISUSEI


MEMORISE these endings:
AH-AH-UM-A-AE-AE;                ( AH AH UM A AE)
US-E-UM-OO-I                          ( MUSEUM OOEE)
CLONE'S TRAX EM-E-I-IS       ( CLONE'S TRAX AMAZE)
US-UM- U- UI- US                    (USE 'EM YOU USE)
ES-ES-EM-E-EI-E                     (S & M E HEY!)
Some notes: Just say these one after the other, and then write them down. The words in brackets are rough equivalents that help with memorisation.



PLURALS

CASEIIIIIIIIIIV
NOMINATIVEAEIESUSES
VOCATIVEAEIESUSES
ACCUSATIVEASOSESUSES
ABLATIVEISISIBUSIBUSEBUS
DATIVEISISIBUSIBUSEBUS
GENITIVEARUMORUMUMUUMERUM

MEMORISE:
AE-AE-AS-IS-ARUM ( I 'AS 'IS ARM             I.E. "I HAVE HIS ARM")
I-I-OS-IS-ORUM      ( EE -OS-'IS-ORM        I.E. "HE HAS HIS ARM")
ES-IBUS-UM          (EASY BOSOM)
US -IBUS -UUM     ( USE 'E  BOSOM             I.E. "USE YE BOSOM")
ES - EBUS -ERUM  (EASY BOSERUM)

Note the 'rule of two' the first two declensions have the first two cases the same.
The 'rule of three' - the next three have the first three cases the same.
Neuters always follow the 'rule of three'



ADJECTIVES:

Learn your adjectives in the order Feminine, Masculine, Neuter, NOT masc, fem,neuter, as in all grammar books.

Then, the adjective will follow the order of the declensions, and will give clearer patterns for memorising. Here are the endings for adjectives that are declined like BONUS.

CASEFEMININE
 (follows 1st declension form)
MASCULINE
(follows 2nd declension form)
NEUTER
(follows masculine)
NOMINATIVEAUSUM
VOCATIVEAEUM
ACCUSATIVEAMUMUM
ABLATIVEAOO
DATIVEAEOO
GENITIVEAEII


Note the neuter of the adjective is a neutered masculine. Thus, it follows the form of the masculine, except if has the 'rule of three' for the first three cases. Putting it next to the masculine makes it easier to memorise.

CASEFEMININE plural
(follows 1st declension form)
MASCULINE plural
(follows 2nd declension form)
NEUTER plural
(follows masculine)
NOMINATIVEAEIA
VOCATIVEAEIA
ACCUSATIVEASOSA
ABLATIVEISISIS
DATIVEISISIS
GENITIVEARUMORUMORUM



A COMPARATIVE TABLE SHOWING FORMS COMPARED TO FIRST DECLENSION FEMININE SINGULAR.  THERE IS SOME IRREGULARITY, BUT EVEN HERE THERE ARE PATTERNS.


CASEFEMININE SING








NOMINATIVEHAECMUSABONAMEAILLAIPSAISTAEA

VOCATIVEOMUSABONAMEA





ACCUSATIVEHANCMUSAMBONAMMEAMILLAMIPSAMISTAMEAM

ABLATIVEHACMUSABONAMEAILLAIPSAISTAEA

DATIVEHUICMUSAEBONAEMEAEILLIIPSIISTIEI

GENITIVEHUJUSMUSAEBONAEMEAEILLIUSIPSIUSISTIUSEJUS




A COMPARATIVE TABLE SHOWING FORMS COMPARED TO FIRST DECLENSION FEMININE PLURAL. NOTE THE REGULARILY OF THE FORMS. MASCULINE PLURAL FORMS ALSO SHOW REGULARITY.


CASEFEM.
PLURAL









NOMINATIVEHAEMUSAEBONAEMEAEILLAEIPSAEISTAEEAEQUAENOSTRAE
VOCATIVE
MUSAEBONAEMEAE




NOSTRAE
ACCUSATIVEHASMUSASBONASMEASILLASIPSASISTASEASQUASNOSTRAS
ABLATIVEHISMUSISBONISMEISILLISIPSISISTISEISQUEISNOSTRIS
DATIVEHISMUSISBONISMEISILLISIPSISISTISEISQUEISNOSTRIS
GENITIVEHARUMMUSARUMBONARUMMEARUMILLARUMIPSARUMISTARUMEARUMQUARUMNOSTRARUM


A COMPARATIVE TABLE SHOWING FORMS COMPARED TO SECOND DECLENSION MASCULINE SINGULAR.  THERE IS SOME IRREGULARITY, BUT EVEN HERE THERE ARE PATTERNS.


CASEMASC
SING.








NOMINATIVEHICDOMINUSBONUSMEUSILLEIPSEISQUIS
VOCATIVEODOMINEBONEMI




ACCUSATIVEHUNCDOMINUMBONUMMEUMILLUMIPSUMEUMQUEM
ABLATIVEHOCDOMINOBONOMEOILLOIPSOEOQUO
DATIVEHUICDOMINOBONOMEOILLIIPSIEICUI
GENITIVEHUJUSDOMINIBONIMEIILLIUSIPSIUSEJUSCUJUS



A COMPARATIVE TABLE SHOWING FORMS COMPARED TO SECOND DECLENSION MASCULINE PLURAL. NOTE THE REGULARILY OF THE FORMS. FEMININE PLURAL FORMS ALSO SHOW REGULARITY.


CASEMASC
PLURAL








NOMINATIVEHIDOMINIBONIMEIILLIIPSIISTIIIQUI
VOCATIVEODOMINIBONIMEI




ACCUSATIVEHOSDOMINOSBONOSMEOSILLOSIPSOSISTOSEOSQUOS
ABLATIVEHISDOMINISBONISMEISILLISIPSISISTISEISQUEIS [quibus]
DATIVEHISDOMINISBONISMEISILLISIPSISISTISEISQUEIS [quibus]
GENITIVEHORUMDOMINORUMBONORUMMEORUMILLORUMIPSORUMISTORUMEORUMQUORUM





MORE PATTERNS IN ADJECTIVES (in the singular)

OBSERVE: ADJECTIVES THAT ARE LIKE BONUS, USE THE ACCUSATIVE ENDING FOR THE FIRST THREE CASES OF THE NEUTER IN THE SINGULAR.


CASEFEMININE
 (follows 1st declension form)
MASCULINE
(follows 2nd declension form)
NEUTER
(follows masculine)
NOMINATIVEAUSUM
VOCATIVEAEUM
ACCUSATIVEAMUMUM
ABLATIVEAOO
DATIVEAEOO
GENITIVEAEII



OBSERVE: ADJECTIVES THAT ARE LIKE PULCHER FORM THEIR SINGULARS AS FOLLOWS: NEUTER ENDING IS THE SAME AS THE MASC. ACCUSATIVE ENDING.  Note - the exception (marked in red) is in the name of the adjective, so is easy to remember.


CASEFEMININE
 (roughly follows 1st declension form)
MASCULINE
(roughly follows 2nd declension form)
NEUTER
(follows masculine)
NOMINATIVERAERUM
VOCATIVERAERUM
ACCUSATIVEAMUMUM
ABLATIVEAOO
DATIVEAEOO
GENITIVEAEII



OBSERVE: ADJECTIVES THAT ARE LIKE TURPIS  FORM THEIR SINGULARS AS FOLLOWS: FEMININE AND MASCULINE ARE THE SAME, THE NEUTER REMAINS AS A NEUTER OF THE MASCULINE (& FEM. ). NOTE THE SIMILARITY OF THE NEUTER ENDINGS TO THE ACCUSATIVE ENDING.


CASEFEMININE
 (roughly follows 3ND declension form)
MASCULINE
(roughly follows 3ND declension form)
NEUTER
(follows masculine)
NOMINATIVEISISE
VOCATIVEISISE
ACCUSATIVEEMEME
ABLATIVEIII
DATIVEIII
GENITIVEISISIS




OBSERVE:  ADJECTIVES THAT ARE LIKE ACER ( SIMILAR TO TURPIS ABOVE) FORM THEIR SINGULARS AS FOLLOWS: NOTE THE SIMILARITY OF THE NEUTER ENDING TO THE ACCUSATIVE ENDINGS. Note, the exception (marked in red)  is in the name of the adjective, making it easier to recall.


CASEFEMININE
 (roughly follows 3RD declension form)
MASCULINE
(roughly follows 3RD declension form)
NEUTER
(follows masculine)
NOMINATIVEISER   [IS]E
VOCATIVEISER   [IS]E
ACCUSATIVEEMEME
ABLATIVEIII
DATIVEIII
GENITIVEISISIS


LATINUM.ORG.UK

Please go to the Latinum Website, at

  Latinum.org.uk




"Longum iter est per praecepta, breve et efficax per exempla."


Please visit Latinum for a complete course in Written and Spoken Latin.



I am new to Latin. What do you recommend for me?

I have the following beginners materials on YouTube:

1. Cursum Latinum Molendinarii Pars I (Free) (Latin taught using only Latin)





5. The London Latin Course (Free) (Latin taught with some English explanations)

6. Conversational Latin (Free) (Latin and English phrases)



I would begin with Comenius' 'Vestibulum'. (Scroll down to find it)

After this, I would start with the Orbis Pictus, (Also further down this page)

together with the the main Language Course, Adler's Practical Grammar. 

Adler will teach you formal grammar, with vast quantities of practical examples.

Use the first 50 Serial and Oral Latin Course lessons I have bundled for free with Adler 1-9, as

 these provide a gentler introduction.

 After that, continue with Adler course as it follows his original textbook, and intersperse

 this with Comenius' Orbis Pictus, in order to build a wide ranging vocabulary. When 

you are about halfway through Adler,you can start to supplement your studies with 

some of the other useful Latin-English materials I provide here,

which will begin to expose you to prose, and a wider variety of Latin, while

maintaining interest. 

If you fancy a more traditional Latin course, then you might want to try D'Ooge.

A simplified Mobile Phone friendly version of this site can be found here


The Latinum Course was founded in 2007. Latinum's main Youtube channel has over 16,000 subscribers, and over 2.5 million views.

29. Missa Latina (bilingual reading + Latin revision)   
28. Imaginum Vocabularium Latinum  
26. Hidden Quantities  
24. Swallowing the Dictionary   
17.Puer Romanus   
13.Introduction to Caesar  




A simplified Mobile Phone friendly version of this site can be found here


As the sidebar navigation does not work in all browsers, please use the SITE MAP button to navigate this site if needed. 

LATINUM'S LATIN LANGUAGE SOCIAL NETWORK - THE FOEDUS LATINUM
In 2008, Evan der Millner created the Foedus Latinum which is now the largest and most active dedicated network of Latin language social networks in the world. If you want to use your Latin actively, and contact other people who are learning Latin, in a friendly community, check out the FOEDUS.