02.01.25: Level 1; Julia, a Latin Reader (Reed) [2]

Ad Iūliae casam _______ venit.

Rubra est pīrātae tunica, splendidae sunt ______ et hasta.

Iūlia prope ______ portam stat et _________ spectat; _________ hastam et _______ et tunicam rubram amat et laudat.

Pīrāta quoque Iūliam et ______ et ______ laudat.

"Ō Iūlia," inquit, "pulchra es puella et pulchrae sunt ______ tuae.

__________ mea pulchra est. Alta est ______ ___________ meae.

In extrēmā nāviculā ___ et nāviculam _________.

Alba est nāvicula mea; nunc prope ōram maritimam ______"

Tum Iūlia cum _______ ad ōram maritimam ambulat et ___________ albam _________.

Iūlia et pīrāta _______ nāviculae multīs ______ _______.

Subitō pīrāta puellam in ___________ _______.

Multae sunt lacrimae puellae, sed frūstrā – pīrāta in extrēmā __________ stat et nāviculam __________.

casae; casam; galea; galeam; gubernat; gubernō; iactat; nāvicula; nāviculā; nāviculae; nāviculam; nāviculam; ōrnant; pīrāta; pīrātā; pīrātae; pīrātam; prōra; prōram; rosae; rosās; rosīs; spectat; stat; stō

A pirate comes to Julia's cottage. The pirate's coat is red, the helmet and spear are bright. Julia stands near the door of the cottage and looks at the pirate; she loves and praises the pirate's spear and helmet and red coat. The pirate also praises Julia and the cottage and the roses. "Oh Julia," he says, "you are a beautiful girl and your roses are beautiful. My boat is beautiful. The prow of my boat is high. I stand at the edge of the boat and steer the boat. My boat is white; now it stands near the seashore."

Then Julia walks with the pirate to the seashore and looks at the white boat. Julia and the pirate decorate the prow of the boat with many roses. Suddenly the pirate throws the girl into the boat. The girl’s tears are many [= girl is very tearful], but in vain – the pirate stands at the end of the boat and steers the boat. 

02.01.25; level 1; topic; school [15]; sports and exercise [3]; ball and racquet sports [1]

There can be some inconsistency in precise meanings and, something on which I’ve based a lot of the work, I don’t think that, just because one person tells you one thing on one site, it is enough to consider it valid. Therefore, as much as possible I have cross-referenced some of the terms for modern ball games.

follis, -is [3/m]: inflated ball

pila, -ae [1/f]: ball; ball game

Image #1: [1] harpastum, -ī [2/n]: handball i.e. the object

Apart from referring to the ball itself, harpastum was also the name of a ball game played in Ancient Rome: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpastum

Research, although not conclusive, argues that harpastum was a game similar to rugby and, in New Latin, this is the term used:

Harpastō lūdō │ I play (at) rugby; https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpastum and https://neolatinlexicon.org/latin/football__rugby/

[2] pedilūdium, -ī [2/n] or pedifollium, -ī [2/n]: football (soccer) i.e. the game itself

Interestingly, Traupman in “Conversational Latin for Oral Proficiency” which is a good source of New Latin, seems to differentiate between these two by adding a comment (p47): pedilūdium (mōre Americānō). I may cause a civil war but I can’t see any reason to differentiate between the two: https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pediludium lists the word as soccer, not American football and both words are also listed at: https://neolatinlexicon.org/latin/football__soccer/

• pedifollis, -is [3/m]: the football (the object)
• pedifolle lūdō │ I play football i.e. playing with the ball
• pedilūsor, pedilūsōris [3/m]: football player

[3] Image #2: There are two alternative terms for American football:

[i] pedilūdium Americānum which is a precise rendering of the idea

[ii] harpastum Americānum which, again, relates to the original Roman game where the ball was passed by hand; https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpastum 

Whichever words you go for, some posts have already been written on football:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlRFLDlrbdc

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/permalink/418653530745921/

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/040424-talking-about-football-in-latin-2.html

https://youtu.be/GsBK6QmFzZg

01.01.25: Level 2; the passive voice [14]; imperfect tense passive [3]; all forms [2]; translation practice

Complete the Latin sentences with the appropriate active or passive imperfect verb.

1. Ā dominō māne __________. │ I used to be called by the master early in the morning.
2. Dominus mē saepe __________. │ The master would often call me.
3. Iūdex nōs __________. │ The judge was questioning us.
4. Ā iūdice __________. │ We were being questioned by the judge.
5. Cēna ab ancillā __________. │ Dinner was being prepared by the maidservant.
6. Ancilla cēnam __________. │ The maidservant was preparing dinner.
7. Ego ā magistrō meō numquam __________. │ I was never praised by my teacher.
8. Magister mē numquam __________. │ The teacher never used to praise me.
9. Nōs ā magistrīs numquam __________. │ We were never praised by the teachers.
10. Mare tempestāte __________. │ The sea was being stirred up by the storm.      
11. Nāvēs flūctibus __________. │ The ships were being tossed about by the waves.
12. Nāvis flūctibus __________. │ The ship was being tossed about by the waves.
13. Plaustrum ab equīs __________. │ The wagon was being pulled by the horses.
14. Equī plaustrum __________. │ The horses were pulling the wagon.
15. Quārē ā magistrō __________? │ Why were you punished by the teacher?
16. Quārē omnēs magistrī tē __________? │ Why did all the teachers used to punish you?
17. Ūvae ā tabernāriō __________. │ Grapes were sold by the shopkeeper.
18. Tabernārius ūvās __________. │ The shopkeeper used to sell grapes.
19. Quid ā tabernāriō __________? │ What used to be sold by the shopkeeper?
20. Vōs ab omnibus cīvibus __________. │ You (pl.) were loved by all the citizens.
21. Tū ab omnibus cīvibus __________. │ You (sg.) were loved by all the citizens.
22. Omnēs cīvēs vōs __________. │ All the citizens used to love you (pl.).

amābāminī; amābant; amābāris; iactābantur; iactābātur; interrogābāmur; interrogābat; laudābāmur; laudābar; laudābat; parābat; parābātur; pūniēbant; pūniēbāris; trahēbant; trahēbātur; turbābātur; vēndēbantur; vēndēbat; vēndēbātur; vocābar; vocābat

____________________

Answers

1. Ā dominō māne vocābar.
2. Dominus mē saepe vocābat.
3. Iūdex nōs interrogābat.
4. Ā iūdice interrogābāmur.
5. Cēna ab ancillā parābātur.
6. Ancilla cēnam parābat.
7. Ego ā magistrō meō numquam laudābar.
8. Magister mē numquam laudābat.
9. Nōs ā magistrīs numquam laudābāmur.
10. Mare tempestāte turbābātur.
11. Nāvēs flūctibus iactābantur.
12. Nāvis flūctibus iactābātur.
13. Plaustrum ab equīs trahēbātur.
14. Equī plaustrum trahēbant.
15. Quārē ā magistrō pūniēbāris?
16. Quārē omnēs magistrī tē pūniēbant?
17. Ūvae ā tabernāriō vēndēbantur.
18. Tabernārius ūvās vēndēbat.
19. Quid ā tabernāriō vēndēbātur?
20. Vōs ab omnibus cīvibus amābāminī.
21. Tū ab omnibus cīvibus amābāris.
22. Omnēs cīvēs vōs amābant.

31.12.24: Level 1; Julia, a Latin Reader (Reed); vocabulary review [1b]

Give the Latin meanings in the wordcloud

also

and

are

beautiful

because

but

is

much; plural: many

near

not

often

red

small

to(wards)

white

with

31.12.24: level 1; topic; school [14]; sports and exercise [2]; boxing and wrestling

pugil, -is [3/m]: boxer

pugilātiō, pugilātiōnis [3/f]: boxing

lūctātor, lūctātōris [3/m]: wrestler

lūctātiō, lūctātiōnis [3/f]: wrestling 

Note here that Cicero uses athlētae to refer to wrestlers rather than, more generally, athletes:

Faciunt idem, cum exercentur, āthlētae, pugilēs vērō, etiam cum feriunt adversārium, in iactandīs caestibus … (Cicero) │  The wrestlers, too, do the same when they are training themselves; and the boxers, when they aim a blow with the cestus* at their adversary …

*Image #1: c(a)estus, -ūs [4/m]: boxing glove but actually referred to thongs or bands of leather tied round the hands of boxers, which could be loaded with iron or lead balls in order to make their blows more powerful: https://www.sci.news/archaeology/vindolanda-boxing-gloves-05853.html

Image #2: The Boxer at Rest (100-50 BC)

Image #3: Whether we agree with it or not, the “sport” goes back a long way, the image from (now) Santorini of the two boys boxing dating from 1600 BC.

30.12.24: Level 2; the passive voice [13]; imperfect tense passive [2]; all forms [1]

The imperfect tense of the passive has exactly the same six endings as the present passive:

-r

-ris

-tur

-mur

-minī

-ntur

Images #1 and #2: These six endings are added to the stem of the imperfect tense active. The only change to note is the stem vowel for each conjugation.

Present tense: laudō

> imperfect tense active: laudā¦ba¦m │ I was praising; I used to praise

> imperfect tense passive: laudā¦ba¦r │ I was (being) praised; I used to be praised

Images #3 - #7: The verbs shown in the images all form the imperfect tense passive in exactly the same way and with the same stress changes (marked * in the example below):

laudā¦ba¦m │I was praising > laudā¦ba¦r │ I was (being) praised; I used to be praised

*laudā́¦bā¦s │ You (sg.) were praising > laudā¦bā́¦ris │ You (sg.) were being praised

*laudā́¦ba¦t │ He/she/it was praising > laudā¦bā́¦tur │ He/she/ it was being praised

laudā¦bā¦mus │ We were praising > laudā¦bā¦mur │ We were being praised

laudā¦bā¦tis │ You (pl.) were being praised > laudā¦bā¦minī │ You (pl.) were being praised

*laudā́¦ba¦nt │ They were praising > laudā¦bá¦ntur │ They were being praised

29.12.24: Level 1; Julia, a Latin Reader (Reed); vocabulary review [1a]

[1] Give the English meanings in the wordcloud

agricola, -ae [1/f]

aqua, -ae [1/f]

casa, -ae [1/f]

fīlia, -ae [1/f]

ōra, -ae [1/f]

ōra maritima

patria, -ae [1/f]

puella, -ae [1/f]

rosa, -ae [1/f]

____________________

ambulō, ambulāre [1]

amō, amāre [1]

culpō, culpāre [1]

dō, dare [1]

habitō, habitāre [1]

laudō, laudāre [1]

portō, portāre [1]

saltō, saltāre [1] 

29.12.24: level 1; topic; school [13]; sports and exercise [1]

certamen, certaminis [3/n]: contest; race

dēlectāmentum, -ī [2/n]: pastime; amusement

disportus, -ūs [4/m]: (New Latin) sport

ars āthlētica: athletics

• āthlēta, -ae [1/m]: athlete

ars gymnastica: gymnastics

• gymnasticus, -ī [2/m]: gymnast
• gymnasium, -ī [2/n]: gym(nasium); exercise ground

also: palaestra, -ae [1/f]: an exercise area next to the public baths; the image shows the palaestra of the Stabian Baths at Pompeii

exerceō, -ēre,  -uī [2]: train

• corpus exerceō │ I train / exercise (my) body
• corporālis exercitātiō, exercitatiōnis [3/f] bodily exercise, or corporis exercitātiō: exercise of the body

currō, -ere, cucurrī [3]: run

• cursus, -ūs [4/m]: (the act of) running; a race

nātō, -āre, -āvī [1]: swim

• natātiō, natātiōnis [3/f]: swimming

lūdō, -ere, lūsī [3]: play (a game / sport); as with musical instruments Latin uses the ablative case with the name of the sport played or the piece of equipment e.g. a ball used to play it

disportibus [ablative] lūdō │ I play (at) sports
pilā lūdō│ I play ball = I play with / by means of ball

• lūdus, -ī [2/m]: game; can also refer to a school
• lūsor, lūsōris [3/m]: player; also a gambler

versor; versor: be involved (in)

• versor is a deponent verb, a form that has not yet been discussed in the group. However, it is useful to know in this topic and so, for the moment, simply note it and use to mean “I am involved” with the preposition in + ablative:

In āthlēticā versor. │ I am involved in athletics.

From the authors:

cum iam nātū grandīs artem āthlēticam dēsīvisset (Gellius)│ When, already old, he had given up athletics

neque industrior dē iuventūte erat / quisquam nec clārior arte gymnasticā: discō, hastīs, pilā, cursū, armīs, equō (Plautus) │  in youthful age not one there was more active in the arts of exercise [literally: in the gymnastic art], with the quoit (discus), the javelin, the ball, racing, arms, and horses. 

nam corporālis exercitātiō ad modicum ūtilis est pietās autem ad omnia ūtilis est (Vulgate) │ for bodily exercise has some value but godliness has value for all things

sibi habeant igitur arma, sibi equōs, sibi hastās, sibi clāvam et pilam, sibi natātiōnēs atque cursūs; nōbīs senibus ex lūsiōnibus multīs tālōs relinquant et tesserās (Cicero) │ Let others, then, have their weapons, their horses and their spears, their fencing-foils, and games of ball, their swimming contests and foot-races, and out of many sports leave us old fellows knuckle-bones and dice.

• lūsiō, lūsiōnis [3/f]: the translator uses “sports” but really means “play” i.e. the act of playing
• tālus, -ī [2/m]: [i] (anat.) knuckle-bone [ii] used to refer to the game of knuckle-bones, a game similar to jacks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knucklebones
• tessera, -ae [1/f]: [i] small piece of stone used for making mosaics [ii] a die as in the six-sided cube used for playing dice [see image]

27.12.24: Level 1; Julia, a Latin Reader (Reed) [1](2)

_______ rosae sunt prope Iūliae casam.

______ aquam ___ Iūlia.

Saepe Iūlia rosās _______ dat.

__________ Iūliam nōn _______ sed _______, _____ rosās pulchrās nautīs dat.

_______ et ______ sunt rosae.

Saepe Iūlia ad __________ casās rosās pulchrās _______.

Nautae puellam parvam _________.

agricola; albae; culpat; dat; laudant; laudat; multae; nautārum; nautīs; portat; quod; rosīs; rubrae

There are many roses near Julia's cottage. Julia gives water to the roses. Julia often gives roses to the sailors. The farmer does not blame Julia but praises (her) because she gives beautiful roses to the sailors. The roses are red and white. Julia often brings beautiful roses to the sailors' cottages. The sailors praise the little girl.

____________________

 

27.12.24: level 1; topic; school [12]; Comenius: Vestibulum Linguarum [2]: concerning things at school [4]

Complete each Latin sentence with the words listed below.

[1] __________ [2] __________ acadēmīam. │ The Rector (Principal; headteacher) rules the academy.

Paedagōgus* advertit et [3] __________. │ A pedagogue steers and pushes [a student].

Grammaticus* [4] __________. │The grammarian speaks.

Rhētor* [5] __________ loquitur. │ The rhetorician speaks eloquently.

Dialecticus [6] __________. │ A dialectician (debater; somebody who argues using logic) disputes (argues).

Vēra ā falsīs [7] __________. │He discerns truth (true things) from falsehood (false things).

Mūsicus [8] __________. │ The musician sings (plays music).

Poēta carmina [9] __________. │ A poet makes poems (fashions them)

[10] __________ effigiem vel imāginem [11] __________. │ A painter paints a picture or an image.

Historicus rēs gestās [12] __________. │ An historian narrates deeds.

Astronomus [13] __________ astra. │ An astronomer describes the stars.

Physicus nātūram [14] __________. │ A scientist investigates nature.

Medicus eam [15] __________. │ A physican (doctor) imitates it.

Ēthicus trādit [16] __________, │ An ethicist teaches rules (has a wider meaning of customs)

cantat; dēscrībit; discernit; disputat; fingit; imitātur; loquitur; mōrēs; nārrat; ōrnātē; pictor; pingit; rēctor; regit; scrūtātur; urget

* There are three terms used in the sentences above that relate directly to education in Ancient Rome. The well-to-do wished their sons to enter the world of politics for which public speaking was an essential skill. They studied Latin, Greek and Rhetoric.

rhētor, rhētōris [3/m]: teacher of rhetoric

grammaticus, -ī [2/m]: (secondary) teacher of Latin or Greek

paedagōgus, -ī [2/m]: (Ancient Rome) educated slaves, usually Greek, who taught Roman children

____________________

Rēctor regit acadēmīam. │ The Rector (Principal; headteacher) rules the academy.

Paedagōgus advertit et urget. │ A pedagogue steers and pushes [a student].

Grammaticus loquitur. │The grammarian speaks.

Rhētor ōrnātē loquitur. │ The rhetorician speaks eloquently.

Dialecticus disputat. │ A dialectician disputes (argues).

Vēra ā falsīs discernit. │He discerns truth (true things) from falsehood (false things).

Mūsicus cantat. │ The musician sings (plays music).

Poēta carmina fingit. │ A poet makes poems (fashions them)

Pictor effigiem vel imāginem pingit. │ A painter paints a picture or an image.

Historicus rēs gestās nārrat. │ An historian narrates deeds.

Astronomus dēscrībit astra. │ An astronomer describes the stars.

Physicus nātūram scrūtātur. │ A scientist investigates nature.

Medicus eam imitātur. │ A physican (doctor) imitates it.

Ēthicus trādit mōrēs, │ An ethicist teaches rules (has a wider meaning of customs)

28.12.24: Level 2; the passive voice [12]; imperfect tense passive [1]; 3rd person singular and plural

DĒ TEMPLĪS GRAECĪS

līberī cum paedagōgō in peristȳlō sedent. paedogōgus līberīs fābulam dē templīs Graecīs nārrat quod in Graeciā habitābat.

“Graecī multōs deōs et deās habēbant. in pulchrīs templīs deōs et deās adōrābant. templa ōrnābantur columnīs altīs et ārīs. magnae statuae deōrum et deārum in templīs vidēbantur. Graecī multa dōna ad templa mittēbant. frūmentum ab agricolīs et aurum ā nautīs mittēbātur. cotīdiē magnae iānuae templorum aperiēbantur; nam Graecī ad templa saepe veniēbant.

“Olympia oppidum pulchrum in Graeciā erat. Olympiae erant multa templa. Hīc erat templum deī maximī. in soliō altō deus sedēbat. deus ā virīs et fēminīs adōrābātur et timēbātur. deus verba virōrum et fēminārum audiēbat et cōnsilia regēbat. Statua numquam relinquēbātur sed semper custōdiēbātur.

solium, -ī [2/n]: throne

[1] Sentence building; find the Latin:

The temples were decorated

The temples were decorated ¦ with tall columns

Many statues were seen

Many statues ¦ of the gods and goddesses ¦ were seen

Grain was sent

Grain was sent ¦ by the farmers

Gold was sent ¦ by the sailors

The doors were opened

The doors ¦ of the temples ¦ were opened

The god was worshipped

The god was feared

The god was worshipped and feared

The god was worshipped and feared ¦ by men and women

The statue was never abandoned

The statue was always guarded

[2] The same pattern applies to the imperfect tense passive as it does to the present passive i.e. for the 3^rd person singular and plural -ur is added to the 3^rd person singular or plural of the imperfect tense; note the stress changes marked in bold:

laudā́băt │ he / she  praised / used to praise / was praising 

> laudābā́tur │ he / she was (being) praised / he used to be praised

laudā́bănt │ they praised / used to praise / were praising 

> laudābántur │ they were (being) praised / he used to be praised

Pater fīlium saepe laudābat │ The father often praised / used to praise (his) son 

> Fīlius ā patre saepe laudābātur │ The son was often praised / often used to be praised by (his) father

Pater fīliōs saepe laudābat │ The father often praised / used to praise (his) sons 

> Fīliī ā patre saepe laudābantur │ The sons were often praised / often used to be praised by (their) father.

[3] Remember that the imperfect tense – both active and passive – can translate in a number of ways:

Fīlius ā patre laudābātur

[i] the son was being praised (when something else happened)

[ii] the son used to be praised (i.e. it happened over a period of time or it no longer happens)

[iii] Fīlius ā patre saepe laudābātur: the son was often praised (in grammar known as frequentative i.e. it happened often or regularly) and English can also translate this concept using ‘would’; the son would often be praised