Latin Help

[Valkyrur]

I'm particularly keen to learn Latin.

However, here in my region, there's almost no Latin classes available. No language schools even think of offering it. Is the language that underused?

Nevertheless, I am still keen to learn, and I probably have to rely on books. Does anyone have a good book to recommend that could help in my learning of the language?

On a side note, I am a complete beginner in the language. I know English, so I suppose that might help just a little... Other than that, a few random words in Latin from games like Final Fantasy... Veritas = truth... Aqua = water... and the like.

 

[Terra Branford]

I don't have many books to give to you, but I do have an extremely useful site. You can learn from it, though you will probably need some money sometimes. (Latin subforum) http://www.unilang.org/viewforum.php?f=61

They have a thread for Latin and resources here:
http://www.unilang.org/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=30310

Here are some books:
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Start...5100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311813421&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idio...534X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1311813421&sr=8-4

You should practice the phonology inventory of Latin as well. Learning the sounds before hand can really help:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Latin/Phonology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_spelling_and_pronunciation

Also, maybe the IPA chart could help as well.

I really suggest at least visiting and asking some questions at Unilang. If you ask for some resources or suggestions on some books to buy or rent, I'm sure they will help you. Its an extremely friendly community (I'm learn two languages there currently myself.).

Tókša akhé!

 

[Valkyrur]

Thanks! I'll be sure to join that community... and hunt down that first book at my closest public library.

BTW. Nice signature. I didn't know Avatar had a spin-off!

 

[Terra Branford]

You're very welcome Monarch.

The resource thread I posted is pretty big, so they might have more links somewhere else in that topic. Or, if that fails, the Latin subforum might have more threads that have been dedicated to resources or had resources posted in them.

Good luck!

*Thanks! And yups, it now officially (before it was just some images and some information) has a sequel! :33*

 

[janz]

Wao I'm really impressed, you are the first one that I find, who want to learn latin, I have to make you my deeper congratulation !
Because, have study latin for five years (during the high school) and, unfortunately, I have almost never appreciated it(sometime I have hate it, and now I say to me:shame on you << )...only literature could get my interest,because it's really awesome!(like Seneca or Cicerone), I'm not sure that you know about them

 

[LanguageSponge]

Hello Valkyrur,

Bit late, but as the Romans once said, satius sero quam nunquam- better late than never. Latin is hardly ever really spoken anymore although it can be heard in church services, mass in various countries, most notably in the Vatican, obviously. That certainly doesn't mean it's useless by any means. I only learnt a couple of thousand words, maybe 5000 or so, and the grammar, and that serves me very well to understand a lot of inscriptions in churches and Latin has a very rich literature if you are willing to go that far. I read an abridged version of De Bello Gallico having only studied half the grammar and about 3000 words of Latin - it can be done. I and many others would recommend the Lingua Latina series, by Hans Henning Ørberg, if you are up for using the Direct Method - one where everything is taught in Latin from the very start, starting from short, simple sentences. For instance, something like this:

Roma in Italia est. Italia in Europa est. Graecia in Europa est. Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt. Hispania quoque in Europa est.

You can get and read reviews on them on Amazon. There are two volumes - the first "Familia Romana", teaches the fundamentals of grammar and about 1500 words (a reasonable amount but not loads), and the second volume, Roma Aeterna, carries on where the first left off, quickening the pace and teaching a lot of the rest of the grammar. It teaches using abridged versions of well-known Roman and Greek stories a little later on. There is also a version of this series to learn Ancient (Attic - Athenian) Greek if you were ever to be interested in that...

Fortuna tecum sit - good luck!

Jack