Nutting's Latin Primer

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Nesrad
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Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

Professor Herbert Chester Nutting (1872-1934) wrote a number of books for instruction in Latin. You may already be familiar with his Latin reader based on American history.

He wrote another book, A Latin Primer, that is not as well-known as it should be. It is unique in its low level of difficulty. This is a textbook that was designed to teach Latin to children in elementary school. There are less than 400 words used in the vocabulary. It is very succinct yet easy to understand in its grammatical explanations. The material is parsed into short lessons that are easy to digest. This will make it attractive for autodidacts who find other textbooks too difficult. The one problem is that Nutting never published a key. So, I thought I might remedy that by making my own. Here it is, for anyone who wishes to use it:

https://cerclelatin.org/wiki/Nutting/key

Any corrections or suggestions are welcome and can be posted here.

This key is actually an afterthought to another project, a translation of Nutting's Latin Primer into French for use by native speakers of French. While composing the key in French, I found it unbearable to think that French speakers would have a key, yet English speakers would not, so I went ahead and did both at the same time. For those who might be interested, the French edition, as well as the French key, are available here:

Textbook
Key
Textbook and key side-by-side
Last edited by Nesrad on Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

metrodorus
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by metrodorus »

You are correct, Nutting's book is one of the simplest introductions to Latin I have come across.
I run http://latinum.org.uk which provides the Adler Audio Latin Course, other audio materials, and additional free materials on YouTube.

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

For the sake of discussion, what are some other comparable books that you know of?

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Hi Nesrad,

Thanks for putting a Key online. I am working through Nutting's Primer in order to refresh my Latin skills as a preliminary to starting Latin composition and saw that there are a few mistakes in the Key.

I also noticed that while all editions of the Primer at archive.org were dated 1911, there are definitely differences between them. For instance, this edition and that one have "under the cradles" and "in the dolls' cradle" for Exercise VIII, II B 3 (Key has "in cunis"). To establish the list below I checked both editions.

Exercise I
II rosarum

Exercise III
I 3 is holding

Exercise IV
I B 1 are hiding

Exercise VII
I A 1 Not a mistake but maybe signal that both "in the sand/on the beach" are possible translations (also for following exercises)
I B 1 Let's play ball

Exercise VIII
II A 1 videtis
II B 2 sub cunis/in puparum cunis

Exercise IX
I A 4 a/the monkey
II B 2 nautarum

Exercise X
II A 2 agricolae

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

Thank you. I was not aware that there's more than one edition. Past lesson 40 there are a lot more mistakes because only the first half has been proof read and quickly at that. Please continue to post the mistakes as you find them and I'll eventually get around to fixing them.

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

You're welcome.
Yes, there must have been at least two prints in 1911. I first realised it when, after reading your errata, I checked p.80 of the scan I was using and saw that it had neither "beautiful flowers" nor "beautiful roses" but "beautiful grapes"! :D

Exercise XI
II B 2 et equum

Exercise XII
I B 2 Then the boys were punished

Exercise XIV
II B 1 in horto puparum

Exercise XV
I B 1 typo be/we: What will we see...
I B 3 The farmer's son is a bad boy

Exercise XVI
I A 2 typo: teache
I A 4 typo: Macus's

Exercise XVII
I B 1 typo: we will se
I B 3 not a mistake but maybe "miseras" only applies to the dolls?
II B 2 magnam nautarum simiam

Exercise XVIII
I A 3 typo: Yeterday
II A 4 in sellis pupae

Exercise XIX
II A 1 ex oppido

Exercise XX
II B 2 Not a mistake but maybe signal "compleret (compleremus)" as in the preceding sentence?

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Exercise XXI
II A 3 ad cymbam (maybe?)
II B 3 in tabernaculum

Exercise XXII
II B 2 ex oppido

Exercise XXIII
I A 1 typo: yeard
I B 2 typo: repied
II A 1 Maybe "in hortum nostrum"?
II A 2 iaceret; word-order: "Marcus, cum in herba..." (Remark, p. 63)


Exercise XXIV
I A 3 typo: many graves (>grapes)
II A 1 Word order: "Avus vester, cum..." (Remark, p. 63)

Exercise XXV
I B 2 Maybe just "a bad little fox"?
II B 1 columbas miseras nostras; word order: "Tum pueri mali, cum..." (Remark, p. 63)
II B 3 word order: Nautae, cum..." (Remark, p. 63)
II B 4 word order: "Simia, cum..." (Remark, p. 63)

Exercise XXVI
I A 4 so that (his) son could be
II B 2 cum saxa in hortum diu iecissent
II B 3 Maybe "ad ludum"?
II B 4 typo: teream

Exercise XXVII
II A 2 macron on "nauta"; per aream

Exercise XXIX
II A 1 typo: mulis uvis
II B 2 in mensa pupae

Exercise XXX
II A 1 pulchris uvis complebamus ("grapes" instead of flowers in some copies of the book)

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Exercise XXXI
I B 3 and so the bad little fox
II A 4 filiam nautae pulchram; noluerat

Exercise XXXII
II B 1 word order: "avus defessus vester, cum..." (Remark, p. 63)
The last part of this sentence is slightly different in the edition I am using: "But a bear ran quickly through the fields, and the wolf hid in the woods." > Sed ursa per agros celeriter cucurrit et lupus in silvis latuit.

Exercise XXXIII
I A 4 typo: druken
II A 1 columbarum ova videmus
II B 2 corvi tui

Exercise XXXIV
I B 3 typo: had went
II A 2 corbulas

Exercise XXXVII
I B ...but Marcus and Quintus
I B typo: climed (twice)
II A 1 in arbore
II A 4 in ramis arborum

Exercise XXXVIII
I A 1 typo: srong
I B ...but the other children
I B Meanwhile, I sat... (cf. p. 27 on sedi)
II A 2 ...ad litus fugerant.

Exercise XXXIX
I A 5 Should be numbered 4.
I B ...filling her basket with beautiful flowers

Exercise XL
...potuerat, potuisset; potuerit (3rd person sg. for all)
I A 1 typo: the fat boy at the berries.
II A 1 non volui > nolui
II B 1 Nautae ebrii filius

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Exercise XLI
I B In the last sentence, "Itaque ei cucurrerunt...", I would take ei as the nom. pl. "they ran" rather than dat. sg. ("to her")
"II" is numbered "I"
II A 1 sorori meae
II A 5 ad silvas
II B 1 Columbam parvam
II B 3 collocavimus

Exercise XLII
II B 3 "celeriter" not needed

Exercise XLIII
I B typo: "vound"
I B typo: "frighted"

Exercise XLIV
I B typo: "climed"

Exercise XLV
I B typo: "to killed"

Exercise XLVI
I A 1 through the forest
I B when the hunters had gone
I B unable to frighten the bears
I B typo: "climed"
II A 3 transiimus
II A 5 agros

Exercise XLVII
I B killed farmers there.
II A 5 ut sororis tuae
II B 4 "ceteras" rather than "alias" (not introduced yet)

Exercise XLVIII
I A 3 typo: "yars"
I A 4 typo: "wolvse"
II A 2 ita nos adiuverunt
II B 4 ad tutum locum

Exercise XLIX
II A 1 in oppido emi.
II A 2 "had traveled": maybe "iter fecisset", rather than "isset", since these two words are in the lesson's vocabulary (it's true though that "iter facere" itself isn't introduced, passively, until the next lesson).
II B 2 "fert" rather than "vehit"

Exercise L
I A 4 the had stolen the benches
I A 4 maybe remove "his" in "his books"
II B 2 Olim parvam ursam ita capere potuit...

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Exercise LI
I B 5 The bad monkey hurried, happy, into...
II A 4 maybe "audivisset" would be less confusing to beginners than "audisset"
II A 4 rivum quoque transiit

Exercise LII
I B typo: "to sieze"
II A 1 simiam vestram
II A 2 audire possum
II A 2 in area erant
II B 1 Nautae fortes, quos...
II B 1 ad silvas
II B 4 ex agro
II B 4 "nunc" instead of "iam"?

Exercise LIII
II A 1 ad litus venissent
II A 1 I would construct: "Agricolae, quos imperator vocaverat, cum ad litus venissent, ad insulam..." to try and follow the Remark, p.63, on the placement of the subject.
II B 2 "Cum liberi..." seems clearer to me.

Exercise LIV
II A 4 "fracta sunt" is also possible I guess. Difference between "were you plates (in the state of being) broken (when you find them)?" and "were your plates broken (by someone)?", cf. II B 2 "was broken by the waves" and II B 3 "were killed".
II B 3 occisae sunt
II B 3 I would use "nunc humi..."
II B 3 ad silvas (maybe?)
II B 3 in ursarum speluncam

Exercise LV
I A 3 sent back
I B typo: "hew was"
I B sent back
II A 3 iacta est
II A 3 ad flumen (maybe?)
II B 1 Eosdem pueros

Exercise LVI
I A 1 the same enemy
I B typo: "climed" (twice)
II A 2 Cum milites...
II B 1 et noctem

Exercise LVII
I A 1 The same soldiers...
II A 3 Cum...vocaretur
II B 4 ...accipere noluerat.

Exercise LVIII
I B not a mistake but "who wanted to catch him" seems better to me than "capture"

Exercise LIX
I B had not been able to run away (potuerant)

Exercise LX
I A 1 the beautiful birds to be sent back
I B they made a fierce attack against the Indians' camp
II A 1 I would use "terruerunt"
II B 3 qui tum (...) iter faciebat
II B 4 et equos nostros occidebant

procrastinator
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by procrastinator »

Exercise VI, II. B. 1. ...inquit Iūlia. "In sellā sedēs...

Also if you'd like some corrections for the French version, there are two instances of "Leçon II" in the Sommaire, and the Vocabulaire at the end is missing an entry for Pila.

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

Thanks :)

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Exercise LXI
II A 2 Cognoveram...
II A 4 duabus
II B 2 iter fecimus
II B 4 ad locum tutum idoneumque

Exercise LXII
I A 1 add "by them"
I A 5 typo: "cheep"
I B Disturbed by this cry...
I B run quickly, farmers!

Exercise LXIII
I A 1 I think "ab imperatore nostro" goes with "rapi" > "when he had learned that grain was seized by our general"
I B The Indians could not find/were not able to find
II A 1 ad locum tutum
II A 2 "voluerunt" may also be possible?
II B 4 noctu
II B 4 "putavimus" seems better to me here

Exercise LXIV
II A 1 regem fieri vult
II A 3 "cymba" for "boat"
II A 3 maybe just "magno fluctu" instead of "vi magni fluctus"?
II A 3 maybe "ad navem vehi"
II B 1 cognoverat
II B 3 ad eum locum

Exercise LXV
II A 1 minores
II B 2 wrongly numbered "3"
II B 2 "pueris" not "parvis pueris"

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Exercise LXVI
I B "but then she stealthily stole a very good horse and, carried through the night,"
II A 2 facilius
II A 4 noctu
II B 1 omnium gentium (without "earum")
II B 4 maybe "ferre" rather than "vehere"

Exercise LXVII
I A 5 wrongly numbered 4
I B typo: "wre"
I B not a mistake but: "...farmhouses long" > "...refused for a long time to flee..." sounds better to me
I B "the enemy very quickly returned..."
I B not a mistake, and this is probably just me, but I would render "uxore capta" because "when his wife was captured" gives me the impression that he calls the other colonists during, or immediately after the rapt. Maybe just the clunky "his wife having been captured", or "after his wife had been captured"
II B 1 matri

Exercise LXVIII
I A 1 "will not be burned"
II A 2 ad minorem urbem
II A 3 Mulieres...dederunt
II B 1 tuli
II B 1 in cymbam (nostram) cepimus

Exercise LXIX
II A 4 nolebat
II A 5 polliceamur (promitto not introduced)
II B 1 Quae cum audita essent/Quibus auditis

Exercise LXX
I B Maybe closer to the Latin "the ennemy's attack could not be sustained any longer"
II A 1 conemur
II B 2 minorem
II B 4 I'd rather use "putavimus" here
II B 4 parare oppidum nostrum adoriri

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Exercise LXXI
I B typo: farmhosues
I B typo: quicly
II A 1 in tabernacula
II A 4 in ripa fluminis
II A 5 piscem maximum

Exercise LXXII
I B "seized (our) brother" rather?
II A 2 in fugam dati sunt
II A 3 possent? (not sure here, should the tense used be based on "dixit" or "mittendos"?)
II B 4 wrongly numbered "3"
II B 4 ceterae enim gentes ("natio" not introduced)
II B 4 ex maioribus urbibus

That's the last lesson. Thanks again for providing the key, using it really forced me to slow down and make sure I was getting every nuance/word right instead of rushing through the texts.

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

No thank you. You've greatly improved it.

procrastinator
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by procrastinator »

Here are some more corrections:

Exercise VI, II. A 2 requires a translation into Latin of "There were roses and berries in the baskets." and the key has "Rosae et bācae in corbulā fuērunt." but it should be "Rosae et bācae in corbulīs fuērunt."

Exercise VII, I. B 3: key has "because we were afraid" but it should be "because we are afraid"

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

Great, thanks!

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

Shenoute, you wrote:

Exercise LXIV
II A 1 regem fieri vult

Where I had "rex fieri vult" for "this sailor wants to be made king."

Why the accusative?

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

All the corrections have been made in the text. Thanks to everyone who took the time to point out the mistakes.

If someone is interested in transcribing the Primer, we could make an edition with the textbook and key side-by-side like the one I did in French.

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Nesrad wrote:Shenoute, you wrote:

Exercise LXIV
II A 1 regem fieri vult

Where I had "rex fieri vult" for "this sailor wants to be made king."

Why the accusative?
My mistake! I probably applied the ACI with too much enthusiasm here...

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

That was the sole instance where I did not apply your corrections, all the rest were founded.

Shenoute
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Shenoute »

Glad I could help!

procrastinator
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by procrastinator »

If you don't mind I'll continue to point out any mistakes if I find them, including in the original French version. In the French version I've found a couple of mistakes. You can find them using a search over the French page:
  • Two instances of Cur (should be Cūr)
  • Two instances of vidērunt (should be vīdērunt)
In the key, there are a couple of punctuation corrections: in Exercise VII you can find "In āreā sēdī quia..." but a comma should be put after sēdī: "In āreā sēdī, quia..." A similar case occurs in exercise LVI (potuimus quia nox iam erat.)

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

Thanks, it's appreciated.

procrastinator
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by procrastinator »

Exercise IX, II. B. 1: sīmiō → sīmiā

Also in the French text, Leçon XII states that lūdus is feminine when it is actually masculine.

Nesrad
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Re: Nutting's Latin Primer

Post by Nesrad »

Thanks, I have made the corrections.

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