28.12.25: Comenius (1658) LV: cookery (1) Part 1: [1] – [2] text, notes and vocabulary

“Owning” Latin

(1) Latin tends to be a “passive” language in that the focus is very much on reading with the ultimate aim of accessing the authors. However, there is nothing to prevent you from reinforcing the language by speaking it and applying it to your own life. Many of the topics I’ve chosen from the Comenius book lend themselves to that because they deal entirely with the world which the pupils knew. This topic fits neatly into that idea since it refers to processes connected with cooking. The text is packed with verbs that refer to food preparation, and while they are written in the 3^rd person e.g. what the cook does, it’s a simple step to change them from the 3^rd person to the 1^st person. Therefore, it is no longer what a 17^th century cook is doing, but what you’re doing now; it isn’t somebody else’s Latin – but your own. It is, however, important to be selective and to identify the words that really matter.

(2) I smiled when I was working through this topic because I could imagine Charles Hoole, the original translator of Comenius’ book, going mad trying to find English equivalents of the mind-boggling list of 17^th century kitchen utensils! This text also well illustrates that “New Latin” isn’t just about how to say air-conditioner or flying saucer; the need to express 17^th century objects sometimes involves the reworking of Classical Latin words which may not have that precise meaning. Some of the CL words are rare, but they are attested. Wherever possible images show authenticated items from antiquity.

Cookery │ coquīnāria

See image #1 (Apicius):

Dē rē coquīnāriā / Dē rē culīnāriā: on the subject of cooking

Dē arte coquīnāriā: on the art / skill of cooking

[1] The Yeoman of the Larder, 1. bringeth forth Provision, 2. out of the Larder, 3. │ Prōmus Condus, 1. prōfert Obsōnia, 2. ē Penū, 3.

prōmus, -a, -um: the adjective refers to ‘giving out’ or ‘distributing’

condus, -ī [2/m]: a person who stores provisions

i.e. ‘yeoman’ refers to somebody who provides a particular service in a noble house; therefore, ‘prōmus condus’ describes the person who is in charge of both storing food and distributing it

penus, -ūs [4/m]: store or provision of food

obsōnium, -ī [2/m]: groceries; food; shopping

obsōnō, -āre [1]: shop; buy provisions

obsonātum eō: I go shopping; this is a useful phrase created from the supine of the verb; links below

eā ībō opsōnātum [ = obsōnātum] (Plautus) │ I’ll go that way to get my supplies

19.09.25: Level 3; the supine [1]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/06/190925-level-3-supine-1.html

19.09.25: Level 3; the supine [2]; Latin tutorials

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/06/190925-level-3-supine-2-latin-tutorials.html

19.09.25: Level 3; the supine [3]; exercises

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/06/190925-level-3-supine-3-exercises.html

[2] The Cook, 4. taketh them and maketh several Meats. │ Coquus, 4. accipit ea & coquit varia Esculenta.

ēsculentus, -a, -um: fit for eating; good to eat; delicious; nourishing

coquus, -ī [2/m]: cook [m]; coqua, -ae [1/f]: cook [f]

coquō, -ere, coxī, coctus [3]: cook; prepare food; bake, boil etc.

Volō scīre, sinās an nōn sinās nōs coquere hīc cēnam? (Plautus) │ I want to know if you will allow or not allow us to cook the dinner here?

ōva cocta: boiled eggs

coctum, -ī [2/n]: cooked food

crūdus, -a, -um: raw

Quid tū … cūrās, utrum crūdum an coctum ego edim…? (Plautus) │ Why … do you trouble yourself whether I eat meat raw or cooked …?