08.03.26: Level 1 (review); presentation; greeting people (1)

NOTE: In a number of posts, I’ve referred to the difficulty of finding consistent sets of short listening resources that focus [i] purely on beginners and [ii] on developing topic-based speaking skills (since speaking is a key method of reinforcing grammatical ideas and vocabulary). Moreover, I have wanted to avoid links to sites / youtube channels that require subscriptions and payments.

It is also challenging to find any effective text to voice programme for Classical Latin. Some give Ecclesiastical pronunciation (which cannot be adjusted), and others are simply abysmal with robotic voices better suited to advertise the latest zappy way of improving your business - and which bear no relation to what we’re aiming for. However, I’ve recently come across two means of getting as close as possible to a reproduction of the original language despite a lot of, frankly, dull and fruitless discussion on a topic which can never be 100% verified.

From the first series of posts when the group started:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/393940703217204/

As in English, Latin has different ways of [i] saying hello and good-bye, [ii] asking how somebody is and [iii] giving answers. Compare: “How are you?” “How are you doing?” “Are you doing / keeping well?” etc. The two dialogues introduce similar variations, but they are all conveying the same ideas i.e. there is no need to stick rigidly to the literal meanings of the Latin phrases.

Dialogue #1

Marcus: Salvē! │ Hello!

Flavia: Salvē! │ Hello!

Marcus: Quid agis? │ [literally: What are you doing?] = How are you?

Flavia:

Bene mihi est, grātiās tibi agō. │ [literally: It is well for me] = I’m fine / I’m doing well, thank you.

Et tū? │ And you?

Valēsne? │ [literally: Are you well / in good health?] = How are you?

Marcus:

Nōn male valeō, grātiās. │ I’m not bad / I’m not doing badly, thanks.

Quid est nōmen tibi? │ [literally: What is the name to you?] = What’s your name?

Flavia:

Nōmen mihi est Flāvia. │ [literally: to me (there) is the name Flavia / I have the name Flavia] = My name’s Flavia

Et tū? Quid est nōmen tibi? │ And you? What’s your name?

Marcus: Nōmen mihi est Mārcus. │ My name is Marcus.

Flavia: Valē, Mārce! │ Bye, Marcus!

Marcus: Valē, Flāvia! │ Good-bye, Flavia!

19.02.24: Asking somebody their name, and giving your own

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/394033459874595/

19.02.24: Greeting people, asking how they are and saying how you feel

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/393952126549395/