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.

Latin Word of the Day - CONGENIAL

First Eclogue of Virgil

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

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4. Cursum Latinum Molendinarii Pars IV (Free)

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

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

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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.

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Tables of comparison for Latin Cases

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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

CASE	I	II	III	IIII	V
NOMINATIVE	A	US	CLONES TRAX	US	ES
VOCATIVE	A	E	CLONES TRAX	US	ES
ACCUSATIVE	AM	UM	EM	UM	EM
ABLATIVE	A	O	E	U	E
DATIVE	AE	O	I	UI	EI
GENITIVE	AE	I	IS	US	EI

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

CASE	I	II	III	IIII	V
NOMINATIVE	AE	I	ES	US	ES
VOCATIVE	AE	I	ES	US	ES
ACCUSATIVE	AS	OS	ES	US	ES
ABLATIVE	IS	IS	IBUS	IBUS	EBUS
DATIVE	IS	IS	IBUS	IBUS	EBUS
GENITIVE	ARUM	ORUM	UM	UUM	ERUM

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.

CASE	FEMININE  (follows 1st declension form)	MASCULINE (follows 2nd declension form)	NEUTER (follows masculine)
NOMINATIVE	A	US	UM
VOCATIVE	A	E	UM
ACCUSATIVE	AM	UM	UM
ABLATIVE	A	O	O
DATIVE	AE	O	O
GENITIVE	AE	I	I

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.

CASE	FEMININE plural (follows 1st declension form)	MASCULINE plural (follows 2nd declension form)	NEUTER plural (follows masculine)
NOMINATIVE	AE	I	A
VOCATIVE	AE	I	A
ACCUSATIVE	AS	OS	A
ABLATIVE	IS	IS	IS
DATIVE	IS	IS	IS
GENITIVE	ARUM	ORUM	ORUM

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

CASE	FEMININE SING
NOMINATIVE	HAEC	MUSA	BONA	MEA	ILLA	IPSA	ISTA	EA
VOCATIVE	O	MUSA	BONA	MEA
ACCUSATIVE	HANC	MUSAM	BONAM	MEAM	ILLAM	IPSAM	ISTAM	EAM
ABLATIVE	HAC	MUSA	BONA	MEA	ILLA	IPSA	ISTA	EA
DATIVE	HUIC	MUSAE	BONAE	MEAE	ILLI	IPSI	ISTI	EI
GENITIVE	HUJUS	MUSAE	BONAE	MEAE	ILLIUS	IPSIUS	ISTIUS	EJUS

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

CASE	FEM. PLURAL
NOMINATIVE	HAE	MUSAE	BONAE	MEAE	ILLAE	IPSAE	ISTAE	EAE	QUAE	NOSTRAE
VOCATIVE		MUSAE	BONAE	MEAE						NOSTRAE
ACCUSATIVE	HAS	MUSAS	BONAS	MEAS	ILLAS	IPSAS	ISTAS	EAS	QUAS	NOSTRAS
ABLATIVE	HIS	MUSIS	BONIS	MEIS	ILLIS	IPSIS	ISTIS	EIS	QUEIS	NOSTRIS
DATIVE	HIS	MUSIS	BONIS	MEIS	ILLIS	IPSIS	ISTIS	EIS	QUEIS	NOSTRIS
GENITIVE	HARUM	MUSARUM	BONARUM	MEARUM	ILLARUM	IPSARUM	ISTARUM	EARUM	QUARUM	NOSTRARUM

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

CASE	MASC SING.
NOMINATIVE	HIC	DOMINUS	BONUS	MEUS	ILLE	IPSE	IS	QUIS
VOCATIVE	O	DOMINE	BONE	MI
ACCUSATIVE	HUNC	DOMINUM	BONUM	MEUM	ILLUM	IPSUM	EUM	QUEM
ABLATIVE	HOC	DOMINO	BONO	MEO	ILLO	IPSO	EO	QUO
DATIVE	HUIC	DOMINO	BONO	MEO	ILLI	IPSI	EI	CUI
GENITIVE	HUJUS	DOMINI	BONI	MEI	ILLIUS	IPSIUS	EJUS	CUJUS

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

CASE	MASC PLURAL
NOMINATIVE	HI	DOMINI	BONI	MEI	ILLI	IPSI	ISTI	II	QUI
VOCATIVE	O	DOMINI	BONI	MEI
ACCUSATIVE	HOS	DOMINOS	BONOS	MEOS	ILLOS	IPSOS	ISTOS	EOS	QUOS
ABLATIVE	HIS	DOMINIS	BONIS	MEIS	ILLIS	IPSIS	ISTIS	EIS	QUEIS [quibus]
DATIVE	HIS	DOMINIS	BONIS	MEIS	ILLIS	IPSIS	ISTIS	EIS	QUEIS [quibus]
GENITIVE	HORUM	DOMINORUM	BONORUM	MEORUM	ILLORUM	IPSORUM	ISTORUM	EORUM	QUORUM

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.

CASE	FEMININE  (follows 1st declension form)	MASCULINE (follows 2nd declension form)	NEUTER (follows masculine)
NOMINATIVE	A	US	UM
VOCATIVE	A	E	UM
ACCUSATIVE	AM	UM	UM
ABLATIVE	A	O	O
DATIVE	AE	O	O
GENITIVE	AE	I	I

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.

CASE	FEMININE  (roughly follows 1st declension form)	MASCULINE (roughly follows 2nd declension form)	NEUTER (follows masculine)
NOMINATIVE	RA	ER	UM
VOCATIVE	RA	ER	UM
ACCUSATIVE	AM	UM	UM
ABLATIVE	A	O	O
DATIVE	AE	O	O
GENITIVE	AE	I	I

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.

CASE	FEMININE  (roughly follows 3ND declension form)	MASCULINE (roughly follows 3ND declension form)	NEUTER (follows masculine)
NOMINATIVE	IS	IS	E
VOCATIVE	IS	IS	E
ACCUSATIVE	EM	EM	E
ABLATIVE	I	I	I
DATIVE	I	I	I
GENITIVE	IS	IS	IS

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.

CASE	FEMININE  (roughly follows 3RD declension form)	MASCULINE (roughly follows 3RD declension form)	NEUTER (follows masculine)
NOMINATIVE	IS	ER   [IS]	E
VOCATIVE	IS	ER   [IS]	E
ACCUSATIVE	EM	EM	E
ABLATIVE	I	I	I
DATIVE	I	I	I
GENITIVE	IS	IS	IS

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"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)

2. Cursum Latinum Molendinarii Pars II (Free)

3. Cursum Latinum Molendinarii Pars III (Free)

4. Cursum Latinum Molendinarii Pars IV (Free)

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.

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

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36 Cornelius Nepos - Latine - Pars Prima (1 - 14)    

35. Cornelius Nepos - Student's Study Audio (Hamiltonian)  

34. "New Latin Primer" by Mima Maxey - stories in simple Latin  

33.   Eutropii -  Breviarium Historiae Romanae Liber I ad X  

32. "Cornelia" by Mima Maxey - A Latin novella for intermediate students (easy Latin)  

31. Chickering - First Latin Reader  

30. Caesar - The British War & Customs of the Gauls   

29. Missa Latina (bilingual reading + Latin revision)   

28. Imaginum Vocabularium Latinum  

27. A Child's First Latin Book - The Religious and Sacred Texts  

26. Hidden Quantities  

25. Der Kleine Lateiner   

24. Swallowing the Dictionary   

23.  GCSE Latin Vocabulary 

22. Reynold's Nature Study and Novella Reader    

21. Cannon's Caesar for Beginners   

20. Lowe, Butler and Taylor, Bellum Helveticum - a grammatical approach   

19.Comenius' Rudimenta Grammaticae & Grammatica Janualis   

18.Junior Latin Reader - Sanford and Scott   

17.Puer Romanus   

16.Januae Latinitatis Vestibulum    

15.Taylor - De Bello Helvetico - Caesaris   

14.Audio Visual Course  

13.Introduction to Caesar  

12.Easy Listening in Latin  

11.Pretty Lessons in Verse  

10.Urbis Romae Viris Inlustres 

9.Orbis Sensualium Pictus - English and Latin   

8. Orbis Sensualium Pictus -  Latin   

7.Adler's Practical Grammar on 3 DVD's  Digital (in 10 parts)

6.Nutting's "De America" 

5.D'Ooge 'Latin for Beginners'     

4.Ripman - Swallowing the Dictionary   

3.Ora Maritima - A Latin Story     

2.Underwood's Latin Grammar    

1.Corderius Colloquia Selecta    

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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.