Guide to Latin conversation, containing a collection of useful words, a list of comparatives and of superlatives ... familiar expressions and phrases ..

1892·21.4 MB·Multiple

by  Lanusse, Michel

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'utility and general division
OF THE BOOK.
Somecolleges are tryingto revive the custom
ofspeaking Latininthe classroom. Thesuccess
thathas attended these efforts has fullyjustified
the method pursued and broughtinto relief the
realneedofelementary books to supplementthe
endeavor. Thedesireof forwarding this move-
mentinfavorofmore solid studies,andofseeing
the scope of a method become more extended
I'which has alreadybornesuch goodfruit in Italy
and in many colleges of France, has prompted
usto writethis Guideto Latin Conversation. We
have reunited in a convenient and handy vol-
ume, a vocabulary of ordinary words, a list of
comparatives and of superlatives, the principal
irregularverbs,choice familiarphrases,dialogues,
3roverbs, choice sentences and quotations. A
linglevolume contains,thephrases anddialogues
I
)fErasmus,ofVives,ofCordier,ofAlde-Manuce,
[
1>f Fathers Pontanus, Van Torre and Champs-
heups.
3
4 Guide to Latin Conversation,
The vocabulary, distributed under different
headings, contains in alphabeticalorder the no-
menclatureofsuchwordsasaremostinuse. We
have been careful not to introduce in this dic-
tionary any word of uncertain Latinity. Some
ecclesiasticalterms,namesofrank,ofsciences,and
of moderninventions, do not belong to the lan-
guageoftheAugustan age,andwillbeeasilyrec-
ognized. Inthelistofcomparativesandofsuper-
lativesweware more desirousof givingpositive
indicationsthanofwishingto make thelistcom-
plete. Thegender of nounsandthequantityof
increments and penultimates which do not fol-
low the rules of position, will be found desig-
nated.
A collection of idioms and Latin expressions
followsthevocabulary. Wehavegrouped them
under general titles,which embracethecircleof
ideas most familiar to students. Most of these
phrases are taken from the letters of Cicero;
others from Terence. Afeware extractedfrom
the writings of Titus Livius, of Caesar, and of
Plautus.
There are eighty dialogues, thirty of which
havebeentakenfromtheconversationsofFather
General Division of the Book. 5
VanTorre, aBelgianJesuit.^ Inthelatter part
ofthebookwehavegivenan ideaofthekindof
dialogue that should be used by the pupils of
moreadvanced studies. Alltheother dialogues
are those of the Progymnasmata Latinitalis of
Pontanus,*which Ihe Protestant gymnasiumsof
Germany*did not hesitate to accept evenatthe
handsofabornadversaryoftheKeform.
The dialogues only are not translated. We
werecompelledtolessentheirnumber,andmany
^professors were of the opinion thatitwould be
moreadvantageous to have the pupils translate
themforthemselves.
^Thesentencesand choice thoughts come after
the conversations. With a few proverbs from
1AnthonyVanTorrewasbornatAlost,in1615,became
areligiousin1632,and passed his life in teachingbelles-
lettres,andinsupervisingclasses. Hediedin1677,atthe
collegeofCourtrai. Hisdialogues,writtenforthecollege
ofAnvers,werepublished for the firsttimein1657. The
same Father published, in 1674, A Collection ofLatin
Phrases.
2James Pontanus, a Bohemian Jesuit, taught belles-
lettresforalongtimeandwithgreatsuccessinGermany.
He died atAugsburg, in 1626, at the age ofeighty-four
years. He was the authorofPoeticalPrecepts, Commen-
tariesonVirgil and Ovid,several GreekTranslations,and
manyotherwritingsinproseandverse.
6 Guide to Latin Conversation.
Publius Syrus are grouped noted sayings from
Juvenal, Terence, Seneca, Ovid, Virgil, and
Horace, all of which wehave inserted as happy
remembrancesof asolidandvaried literaryedu-
cation.
Thebookendswithtables, abbreviations, nota-
tions, the Koman calendar, all of which cannot
butbeusefulforeasyreference.