Introduction (of me)

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nostos
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Introduction (of me)

Post by nostos »

salvete omnes! :D

I guess I'll introduce myself because that's supposed to be one of the functions of this board. Sorry if I get wordy and I don't normally talk so much (not about myself and hopefully not in general), but it is extremely refreshing to find a niche on the net with like-minded individuals, at least in this one aspect, in a world that increasingly doesn't care about Latin.

I've been studying Latin seriously for about 9 months. I study on my own, a possibility that became open to me after taking 1 semester of Latin with a very learned and very humble professor who speaks 6 languages and teaches most of them, among which is the lingua mater of my second tongue, Spanish.

I'm in Canada now but I've been living in Mexico for a good portion of my life; still I don't feel that I have enough mastery of Spanish to do any university work there, and so I've come back to my home and native land to finish my degree.

I've wanted to learn Latin since I was 15. At the time I checked books out of the library but found the language rather impossible. Now I'm writing a book of my own explaining all the implications behind what is assumed in most grammars that most people will understand. I don't, and I'm obsessive so I keep at it until I do. The end product is a (usually) syntactic analysis with pragmatic aims, but I'm not sure how close to that I've come. It does rely very heavily on Allen & Greenough and Gildersleeve & Lodge though, so it's not for print. But if you like me are just beginning, I'd be more than happy to help with all the intricacies of (capital G) Grammar, up to (so far) Wheelock's Ch. 30. I've also got a couple of good internet links which should help those introducing themselves to this venerable language.

And, I think I've completed what will be an appendix to the book on word-formation, in language that is much clearer than A&G's or G&L's usage because, in my opinion, they were using terminology at the incipience of linguistics; not that I'm a linguist, by any means, but I have been up-to-date on a couple of authors dealing with grammar from a modern descriptive perspective. If anyone would like to see it just drop me a note in here, but be warned it has my personal view on academia, which is not too flattering, scattered throughout, and some other things which make it not really for publication (either way who would publish a work on such a recondite subject when it's so difficult to get published when dealing with other, more pressing matters?)

Ok enough plugging of the self. See you all on the boards!

:P

GlottalGreekGeek
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Post by GlottalGreekGeek »

Good evening, Nostos!

I am also an online yakker. With practice, I have made my forum postings more concise on average, but my emails still reach epic lengths.

Your book resembles "Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish" by Keenan, which is also from the perspective of somebody who spent a long time mastering the foreign language in question without becoming a scholar. I recommend it to you, both to give you ideas for your Latin book and (perhaps) help you with Spanish.

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Lucus Eques
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Post by Lucus Eques »

Salue! and welcome!
L. Amādeus Rāniērius · Λ. Θεόφιλος Ῥᾱνιήριος 🦂

SCORPIO·MARTIANVS

Episcopus
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Post by Episcopus »

nostos wrote:
...it is extremely refreshing to find a niche on the net with like-minded individuals, at least in this one aspect, in a world that increasingly doesn't care about Latin.
I don't know if I have found the like minded individuals yet but at least people appreciate Latin and Greek here! I agree wholeheartedly with your above statement, however many coniurationes and however much mafia like behaviour at textkit, this is by far the best classics forum around. I think the occasional dollop of asperity is what makes textkit excel. And the fact that moderators, such as benissimus, not only do nothing to stop it, but also laugh at it usque ad abdominis vulnera. Seriously now though, cweb255, whereever you may be, I want you to return! It is not the same without you! Minimor! Minimor!

mariek
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Re: Introduction (of me)

Post by mariek »

Welcome to Textkit!!!

nostos
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Post by nostos »

Thanks!!!

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benissimus
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Post by benissimus »

SALVE!
Episcopus wrote:And the fact that moderators, such as benissimus, not only do nothing to stop it, but also laugh at it usque ad abdominis vulnera.
not sure what you are referring to, E.
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

Yhevhe
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Post by Yhevhe »

May you have a good experience here nostos :)

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Post by swiftnicholas »

Welcome!

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Jeff Tirey
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Post by Jeff Tirey »

hi Nostos,

Welcome to Textkit!

Where did you live in Mexico and if you don't mind me asking, why were you there?

When I was 12 I took a train ride through Mexico. We started in Nuevo Laredo, travelled south to Saltio and stayed there for a few days and finally went on to Mexico City.

What's Mexico like these days? Is it safe to travel? are there some cities better than others.

I'm learning Spanish now myself so I'm very interested in these things.


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nostos
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Mexico

Post by nostos »

First let me say thank you to both Yhevhe and swiftnicholas. I'm sure this is the forum for me, though my replies and postings will probably drop come Sept. 8 because of school (o the mixed emotion).

Jeff, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and more recently (for about a week and a half) in Leon Guanajuato where my wife Renee and I went to visit her family. We'd go there on long weekends too. She's still down there because she has to finish her final revisions on her thesis, then take her viva voce exam. All this for an undergrad degree, but 'tis standard procedure down there, and she's left it for way too long anyway. I can't wait for her to get here, it's a killer at times, but at least now I devote more time to studying Latin so I don't have to think so much about missing my other half (no more cliches, promise).

I was there because my parents moved there when I was 9. I stayed till I was 18, then left for a couple of months, came back for a couple of years, left again for like 6 years (between the US and Europe), went back for 2, and now I'm here. It is very beautiful in very many ways, and all you'll get from me is a mixture of jingoism and nostalgia (especially now that I feel I'm away from where I belong). As to what it's like, it's becoming more the US than anything; all the fast-food joints, the Walmarts, 7-11s, etc. are thriving in Guadalajara. It for sure is no longer what you remember of it. But you'll hve to be more specific because I'm not really sure what you're asking?

However: I wouldn't recomend you travel on the 'carreteras libres', the freeways where you pay no toll. They're a bit more dangerous both in terms of road conditions and in terms of, well, just urban legends really about getting assaulted. But especially if you speak no Spanish, it is probably best to avoid them. And the toll highways are relatively cheap by US standards.

Safer cities than other cities ..... Mexico DF is probably the place with the best deserved reputation of being nasty and cruel, especially if you're a foreigner. But again, any city has bad areas, and I've never lived in Mexico city; mostly just stories (my best friend's sister lives there now).

In Guadalajara, stick to the Zapopan municipality (which is about half the city anyway) and you'll be fine. Most people in Mexico will know you for a gringo immediately (no offence intended) and most of the services will be overpriced, esp. at the beaches, but I think you'll find that overpriced is really underpriced by US standards and most people are extremely welcoming.

The beaches are all very nice; I'd recomend any of the smaller beaches outside of Puerto Vallarta; San Pancho (more fully San Francisco but everyone knows it down there by the diminutive), can't think of the names of all of the beaches where people haven't settled yet but anyway, no crime or anything there, nor in the touristy beaches. Lo de Marcos is another one.

I don't know, you'll have to be more specific! Sorry if I sounded like a tourist pamphlet.

(by the bye, that's 'Saltillo' :P)

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Post by Bardo de Saldo »

Welcome, Nostos.

I'm a Mexican by heart. Many years ago I walked from Arizona to Nayarit on dirt roads, accompanied by a donkey and a dog, and found out that Mexicans take hospitality as seriously as Ulysses. It wasn't until I reached Mazatlan and hooked up with a young Canadian woman that joined the party that I felt the need to arm myself with a machete (never got to use it, and traded it for a chicken in Nayarit).

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Post by nostos »

Bardo de Saldo, thanks for the welcome,

and :P I knew I sounded like a cheesy tourist pamphlet!

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Post by mingshey »

Welcome, Nostos!
Have a nice time in textkit!

nostos
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Post by nostos »

Thanks!

:D

Bardo de Saldo
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Post by Bardo de Saldo »

"... Canadian woman ... I felt the need to arm myself ..." ~Me

(I had always heard that French Canadian women can be very dangerous.)

"... cheesy ... pamphlet ..." ~nostos

Not one bit, don Nostos; the truth is that Latin America is still the Wild West, not for the faint of heart. What's your favorite corrido? Mine is Rodolfo Garza Pruneda, which ends with these words:

... el valiente siempre vive
hasta que el cobarde quiera.

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Jeff Tirey
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Post by Jeff Tirey »

Hi Again Nostos

thanks for that great description of Mexico. I ask because I'm always curious about what Mexico is really like and what direction it is moving in. I'm also always considering new places to travel to where perhaps I can put some of my Spanish skills to the test. Asking questions from people who know the area is really valuable. Your information about toll vs. free roads was a great tip.

I'm surprised to hear too that Walmarts and the like are there too. It does sound like a far different place than what I saw, which was 21 years ago.

Well it's great meeting you and welcome to Texkit!

Jeff
Textkit Founder

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