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The Write Way 12 November 2004 Friends, Romans ... Greetings, As a regular reader, you know by now how much these newsletters draw on those years I spent in high school Latin classes, and I'd love to be able to tell Mrs Jenkins that she was right, Latin did come in handy in later life! In fact, I'd have to say that I've had more practical use from what I learnt in Latin lessons than from just about any other subject.
Ironic really, when we used to take such great delight in singing the little doggerel, "Latin is a subject, as dead as dead can be. First it killed the Romans, now it's killing me!" Mrs Jenkins was a dear old lady who must have wondered what had hit her when she came out of retirement to take on our class of 48, bright-eyed little 12-year-olds and tried to teach us Latin grammar. For five years we all toiled away at our declensions and conjugations and went with Caesar on his Gallic Campaigns as he subdued the Gauls and the odd few thousand barbarians along the way. We were always intrigued by references to the Long-Haired Gauls, and the class clowns always got an appreciative response when they asked about the Short-Haired Gauls and the Not-So-Long-Haired Gauls ... What can I say? We were young and innocent. But even in our innocence, we didn't quite believe Mrs Jenkins when she translated Caesar's oaths at something or other that Vercingetorix had done as, "Oh bother! Oh My!" or my personal favourite, "Dearie me!" You can read Caesar's Commentaries here ... the easy way, in English. I won't make you struggle through the Latin version as we did: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/txt/ah/Caesar/index.html And you can learn how Latin helps in a number of professions here: http://www.du.edu/~etuttle/classics/latin/latin20.htm Have you ever wanted to write a book, fiction or non-fiction, in Latin or English, but you just couldn't get started, or didn't have the time, or couldn't think of a plot or had writer's block, or didn't think you had anything important to say, or didn't think you had the writing talent or had something else that was stopping you? No more excuses! Click now to find out how easy it is to write your book. http://www.write101.com/letters/writeabook.htm This week's quiz: All
these words are derived from Latin – match the word with its meaning: meretriciousness,
mendacity, malfeasance, mellifluous, magniloquent, malocclusion, mollify,
malediction, maleficence, moratorium 1.
elevated or pompous in speech or style of expression, using big or unusual words
2.
curse 3.
an authorized delay or cessation of an action 4.
act or state of doing evil 5.
wrongdoing by a public official 6.
a flashy attractiveness, alluring by false charms 7.
failure of teeth opposite each other to meet properly 8.
having a smooth rich flow 9.
to soften or temper (a person); pacify, appease 10.
untruthfulness; tendency to lie Here's some Latin humour to brighten up those dull moments in conversation around the lunch table: Nihil homini amico est opportuno amicus. There is nothing more friendly than a friend in need. (Plautus) In vino veritas. In wine is truth. (Anon) Risu inepto res ineptior nulla est. Nothing is sillier than a silly laugh. (Catullus) Prehende uxorem meam, sis! Take my wife, please! (Anon) Last week's quiz: See how many are familiar to you: pinguid, pilose, lunule, cicatrix, oleaginous, machicolation, delitescent, putative, lubricious, prandial 1. falsely or smugly earnest; unctuous - OLEAGINOUS This wonderfully expressive word comes from the Latin oleaginus meaning the olive tree, and isn't it perfect to describe those oily weasels who slither and insinuate themselves into the top jobs? 2. lying concealed; hidden - DELITESCENT. Another from the Latin, this time from delitiscere meaning ' to lie hid' 3. of or relating to a meal - PRANDIAL From the Latin prandium 'late breakfast' 4. scar left by the formation of new connective tissue over a healing sore or wound - CICATRIX 5. crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail - LUNULE I don't have to tell you where this one comes from ... think Luna Park ... lunar eclipse ... lunatic! 6. covered in fine, soft hair - PILOSE From the Latin pilus 'hair' 7. projecting gallery at the top of a castle wall, supported by a row of corbelled arches and having openings in the floor through which stones and boiling liquids could be dropped on attackers; one of these openings - MACHICOLATION This comes from the Latin machicolamentum meaning 'combustible material' ... guess what other word we get from this? Yep! The humble little match! 8. shifty or tricky; lewd, wanton - LUBRICIOUS Another form Latin - from lubricus 'slippery' 9. generally regarded as such; supposed - PUTATIVE This is an easy one when you think about it. It comes from the Latin putare 'to think, to consider, to reckon; to prune, to cleanse.' Other words from the same root are compute, reputation, dispute. 10.fat; oily - PINGUID Yet another word about oil, but this time it refers to things, not people. You can have pinguid pools ... days that are "more pinguid than others" and so on. It comes from the Latin pinguis, meaning 'fat, rich, fertile; dull, gross; thick. And as a noun meaning 'grease.' We haven't just pinched bits of words from the Romans, but also entire Latin phrases. Here are some that we use all the time: ad hoc - to this particular purpose If you'd like a constant reminder of the wonders of Latin, you can get your very own coffee mug, shirt, cap, mousepad, bag, teddy bear, clock and more - all with a neato Latin phrase. Be the envy of your friends with a coffee mug emblazoned with: "Bene est rex esse!" (It's good to be king!) Or what about a clock that proclaims "Tempus fugit!" As if you needed reminding! Or a mousepad for work that warns: "Noli me tangere!" (Don't touch me!) See the full range here: http://www.cafepress.com/write101 Our Map of the World has some fascinating glimpses into the places our Merry Band call home. Drop by if you haven't been back for some time and don't forget to read the messages. (Just click List) : http://pub37.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=3170114826 A Little Something Extra Since I've whet your appetite for more Latin, the least I can do is help you assuage the need, so if you feel overcome by the urge to brush up your Latin, you'd do well to start here: http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~econrad/lang/latin.html (If this link doesn't work ... and for some odd reason it sometimes doesn't ... go here: http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/search/ check the middle radio button (Search www.math.ohio-state.edu) and enter Latin grammar.) Word of the
week: Cunctation
(n) delay, procrastination. This wonderful word comes (are you at all surprised?) from the Latin cunctatus, 'to delay.' Roman
general, Quintus Fabius Maximus, was given the nick-name "Cuncator"
because of his ingenious tactics of delaying an open encounter with Oxymoron of the week: department store service (Yes, I'm gearing up for the Christmas rush ...) And this week's Latin phrase will apply for the duration of the Silly Season: Emptrix nata sum! (Born to shop!) Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it. Get yourself a nifty bag that shouts this to the world: http://www.cafepress.com/write101 Regards, Jennifer P.S. Want to donate to the upkeep of this newsletter? Here's how: 1. Pay by PayPal:
2. Click here to subscribe for a full year OR 3. Use your credit card on my secure order form: http://www.write101.com/fund.htm (You can also access the PayPal subscription link from this page if the link above didn't work for you. With PayPal, you can use your credit card, PayPal account or pay online using your own cheque account.) OR 4. Send a cheque (made payable to Jennifer Stewart): http://www.write101.com/fund.htm To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: mailto:WritingTips-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com or go to the web site, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WritingTips This menu will also let you change your subscription between digest and normal mode. Copyright 2004 Jennifer Stewart Individual articles copyrighted by
their authors.
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