Acquiring a functioning vocabulary?

Here you can discuss all things Latin. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Latin, and more.
Post Reply
User avatar
Scribo
Global Moderator
Posts: 917
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:28 pm
Location: Between Ilias and Odysseia (ok sometimes Athens).

Acquiring a functioning vocabulary?

Post by Scribo »

Salvete omnes! quid agitis hodie?

Ego volo docere multa verba linguae latinae aut non intellego (how) quid faco (is that right? educated guess)

I want to learn a functioning vocabulary so I can start to read texts, my grammar is not the best and I'm working on that through the summer, I restart uni in September and will have Latin, naturally I don't want to check a dictionary every 10 seconds so I need to get a broader vocabulary.

Best/quickest way to do this? for me I remember words I use better, but I don't really have time and I have to juggle Greek too. :(

I also need to improve my reading ability bene celeriter

Tibi multas gratias amici mei
(Occasionally) Working on the following tutorials:

(P)Aristotle, Theophrastus and Peripatetic Greek
Intro Greek Poetry
Latin Historical Prose

Interaxus
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 581
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:04 am
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Re: Acquiring a functioning vocabulary?

Post by Interaxus »

Scribo:

Try the link provided here by Laura Gibbs. Check out the 300 most common words in the text's 'Appendixes'.

http://learninglatinlinks.blogspot.com/ ... words.html

Cheers,
Int

quickly
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 54
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:18 pm

Re: Acquiring a functioning vocabulary?

Post by quickly »

Since Wheelock's is oriented towards reading the "Loci Antique" and "Loci Immutati" (which are altered and unedited selections from classical authors, respectively), I would suggest memorizing the "official" and "chapter" vocabulary in Wheelock's. Another book which is helping my vocabulary is "Auricula Meritricula," styled after Roman comedy and graded according to the Wheelock's chapters.

metrodorus
Textkit Fan
Posts: 339
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:19 pm
Location: London
Contact:

Re: Acquiring a functioning vocabulary?

Post by metrodorus »

Scribo - I forgot to mention these two useful resources:
Comenius' Lexicon Januale, and the Lexicon Atriale, which pre-supposes you have learned all the vocab in the Januale first.
Both are available online here:
http://comlex.pbworks.com/

If you want to do something productive while learning, you can help with those who are gradually transcribing the Lexicon Atriale.

These dictionaries have the great advantage of only being in Latin.
I run http://latinum.org.uk which provides the Adler Audio Latin Course, other audio materials, and additional free materials on YouTube.

User avatar
paulusnb
Textkit Fan
Posts: 302
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:37 pm
Location: New Orleans

Re: Acquiring a functioning vocabulary?

Post by paulusnb »

You are asking the million dollar question. What has worked for me is reading, reading, reading. Specifically, read texts that are at your level. So, do not do Cicero if you are looking up every word. There are easier texts. Lingua Latina is great for this, and a fun read to boot. I would also suggest some of the Latin Primers that Edonnelly has found on Google Books. I have a bunch printed out, and they are amazing. The Vulgate is another text I used to gain vocabulary.
When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him. ~Swift

vir litterarum
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 722
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2005 4:04 am
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: Acquiring a functioning vocabulary?

Post by vir litterarum »

I have found this to be the best method:

1) create a vocabulary list of the most common words in a given canonical author such as Vergil, Cicero, Caesar, or LIvy using the vocabulary tool from the Perseus Project.

2) go to flashcardmachine.com and make a set of electronic flashcards using the list you have generated.

3) download them onto your iPod so that you can take them with you anywhere.

nov.ialiste
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 45
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:56 pm

Re: Acquiring a functioning vocabulary?

Post by nov.ialiste »

I find that reading Oerberg's Lingua Latina is the best way to acquire Latin, both vocabulary and grammar.

There is lots of reading material which is carefully graded and practice makes perfect.

I did the first 60 lessons of D'Ooge first but Lingua Latina is much better for consolidation.

Post Reply