Slashdot Mirror
Learning Latin - Has It Helped You?
4/3PI*R^3 asks: "CNN is reporting that Latin is experiencing a revival in schools. The reason - Latin is used in the sciences and technology is based on science. Latin is also useful for registering .US domain names :).
How many Slashdot readers have learned Latin and how has it helped you in your life/career? 'non impediti ratione cogitatonis'"
Basi meum posterior!!
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
Not nearly worth the effort otherwise.
How many Slashdot readers have learned Latin and how has it helped you in your life/career?
After taking Latin I've started snickering at people who use the objective case for predicate nominatives. Other than that, I don't think it's helped me at all, other than allowing me to get a degree without doing oral recitations in my language class.
Semper ubi sub ubi!
The plural of virus is viruses. Virii just makes you look as smart as a bowl of chickenpoxen
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
Latin is a language
as dead as it can be
It killed the ancient Romans
And now it's killing me.
> It's a pretty humbling experience being 22 years old and talking at a 3-year-old level with adults.
:)
"Why are you wanting me to be talking like a bot?"
Edited from: The Life of Brian script
Centurion: What's this then? Romanes eunt domus. People called Romanes they go
the house?
Brian: It, it says 'Romans go home'.
Centurion: No it doesn't. What's latin for 'Roman'? Come on...
Brian: aaah.
Centurion: Come on.
Brian: Ah! Romanus?
Centurion: Goes like?
Brian: Annus?
Centurion: Vocative plural of 'annus' is?
Brian: Anni?
Centurion: Romani. [He crosses out the 'es' and writes in 'i'.]
Eunt? What is eunt?
Brian: Go.
Centurion: Conjugate the verb 'to go'.
Brian: Uh. Ire - Uh... eo, is, it, imus, itis, eunt.
Centurion: So eunt is?
Brian: Ah, Uh, Third person plural of present indicative. They go.
Centurion: But Romans go home is an order, so you must use the?
--------[The centurian lifts Brian: by the sideburns... nasty, eh?]
Brian: The imperative.
Centurion: Which is?
Brian: Ahm. Oh, oh, um... I, I.
Centurion: How many Romans?
Brian: Ah. Plural, plural... ite, ite.
Centurion: Ite. [He again corrects the writing on the wall.]
Domus? Nomonative? 'Go home'? This is motion towards, isn't it, boy?
Brian: Dative, sir.
--------[The Centurian takes out his weapon, and holds it to Brian's throat.]
Ahh. No, not dative, not the dative, sir. Oh, Ah. Uh.
The accusative accusative. Ah, Domum, sir. Ab domum! Ah! Oooh! Ah!
Centurion: Except that 'domus' takes the?
Brian: The locative, sir.
Centurion: Which is?
Brian: Domum. Aaah! ah.
--------[Again, the writing is ammended.]
Centurion: Domum... um... Understand?
Brian: Yes, sir.
Centurion: Now write it out a hundred times.
Brian: Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caeser, sir.
Centurion: Hail Caeser. And if it's not done by sunrise, I'll cut your balls
off.
Brian: Ooh, thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caeser and everything, sir.
Oh. Mmm!
In high school, I was terrified of getting yelled at for saying something the wrong way, or accidentally ordering a plate of flaming testicles instead of a slice of pizza.
There were no snooty Romans alive to correct me on my pronunciation -- and in fact my teacher told me that there were two ways to pronounce things, Roman-style and medieval-style.
Then, in college, I tested out of Spanish because I knew enough Latin that I only needed a little bit of Spanish cramming to answer the placement exam questions. (That, and a Mu Alpha Theta career, and lots of standardized tests. If public schools have taught me anything, it's how to fill in a bubble sheet for a multiple-guess test.)
So I didn't end up speaking any languages other than English fluently, which sucks, but I did get my linguistics degree (think of it as a blessed +2 scroll of learn language named "I know Kung Fu") and went on to grad school for my librarian union card.
Hmm. Considering the fan noise coming from my computer, maybe I should have studied American Sign Language.
... take the ablative.
Arma virumque cano
Trojae qui primis ab oris
Littora, uh, uh saevae memorem Junonis ab orem
Multa quoque et bello passus dum conderet urbam
Uh, inferetque deos latio genus unde latinam
Um, um,
Albanique patres atque alte moenea Roma...
Or something like that.
And there you have it. Everything I got out of four years of Latin. Everything.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!