An introduction and a question.

Textkit Community Open Board
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I stumbled upon this forum a few days ago and I must say that I am pleased with what I see. At first, however, I was not too interested in coming to such a small forum, but then again, I just made the posting population one man higher, no?

Well I’m not overly good at introductions, so I will just throw out some information.

I am but 16 years of age as of November 23, and have recently found a delight in learning languages. I am already done with Wheelock’s Latin after five months of hard study, and am now 3/4 through Japanese after four months of lax study. Through all this study I have learned a good lesson: do not zealously study two languages at once! Especially not Latin with a language as far-fetched as Japanese! The two are almost opposites, they just don’t mix, and because of it I’ve started talking Latinese, as I call it.

I plan on learning Greek next, so this forum will help me yet again in the future.

But! To the point: I have finished Wheelocks too fast, and thus I know the grammar of Latin, but not enough words. I am thinking of buying Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis, but I want your advice. I have never been interested in Harry Potter books, and have until now avoided them. I know the book has very simple writing, and that’s what I want: 300 pages of easy Latin. You see, I am aspiring to speak Latin fluently, and the way I see it, there is no easier way to obtain a large vocabulary and learn to speak a language than reading lots of it.

Well, what do you think? Will it help me attain fluency, or should I stick with Caesar or other writers? Your information will be appreciated.

By the way, here is an amusing Latin site:

http://www.ealasaid.com/quotes/latinsil.html

You may want to check it out. Maybe I should by that book for fun. Here are some of my personal favorites:


Threats Carry More Weight in Latin:
Prospice tibi - ut Gallia, tu quoque in tres partes dividaris.
Watch out - you might end up divided into three parts, like Gaul.

In tempore praeterito plus quam perfecto de te mox dicent.
People will soon be referring to you in the past pluperfect tense.

Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules.
If I were you, I wouldn’t walk in front of any catapults.

Useful Curses
Utinam barbari spatium proprium tuum invadant!
May barbarians invade your personal space!

Utinam coniurati te inforo interficiant!
May Conspirators assassinate you in the mall!

Utinam modo subiunctivo semper male utaris!
May you always misuse the subjunctive!

Wiretappers Don’t Know Latin
Placetne tibi ut eum necemus?
Whaddya say we bump him off?

Locum despoliemus.
Let’s stick up the joint.

Materiem habeo - habesne nummos?
I got the stuff - you got the money?

Bene! At scin quid faciam? Certum est mini subterfugere omnia vectigalia ei imposita!
Swell! Hey, you know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna evade all the income tax on it!

Gaudete et valete.

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Wow, those are great. I may have to get that book… I have seen it around…

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Welcome to Textkit!

Hehe. I like those phrases! My brother sent me some similar to those not long ago…I hadn’t heard most of these, though. Thanks for posting them.

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Haha Japanese nice one. Are you female?

The “placetne tibi ut eum necemus” translation is very rough :open_mouth:

I agree with the two languages point. I am to do chinese soon after I will have finished this Latin course. Have you considered chinese? I had a choice between that and japanese…

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Episcopus-

Yeah, some of those translations are rough, but fun all the same.

As for Chinese, it is said to be the hardest language for westerners to learn. It has many different dialects throughout China; the pronunciation has tones and pitches, and the sentence structure make as much sense as Sushi through at a dartboard. Well, the last one goes the same for Japanese too…

Japanese pronunciation is extremely easy on the other hand; it doesn’t even have accent marks. But I have seen so many hundreds of hours of Japanese movies and shows in Japanese with English subtitles that the language comes natural to me.

Have you studied any far eastern languages? Believe me when I say that they are nothing like the European ones. Can be frustrating or fun.

Oh, and I’m male.

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hmm…why do girls always suck at languages

Tones, dissimilarities - don’t I know it! But me loves a challenge if she want it me give it unto she. :open_mouth:

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I’m not too sure if I said it before (λήθη :mrgreen:), but anyways, I’d love to learn Chinese, too…:slight_smile:

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Ho Chih Minh shoot a load on your chin :confused:

I’ve spent too long mocking chinese it’s time to be stronger and not ignorant. Although they are a funny type of people.

Japanese gameshows are strange.

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Episcopus, even though I know so much about Japan and its culture, I still think it is funny when they try to speak English. :slight_smile:

Here’s something for a good laugh:

http://www.engrish.com/

Well, about my question, has any one here read Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis? Is it recomended? I haven’t looked inside the book, but I assume the Latin is not childishly easy, right?

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I doubt that it could be childishly easy, considering the content. I guess it depends on your goals… if your goal is to become proficient in neo-latin literature then this would be good… but if you want to learn the old stuff, Harry Potter probably won’t help much.

However, it would be a fun thing to read and would be a good exercise in any case (I myself have Ursus Nomine Paddington and Cattus Petasatus!).

Episcopus, surely the large number of women on this site renders your generalization absurd and inaccurate.

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Well Klewlis, I don’t see how it could hurt. Besides, I can read literature, but I want to learn common words, so I can actually speak latin. Though I enjoy to read Latin literature, you just don’t get much common conversation, that’s why it’s literature. Despite I can read it, it’s just hard to become fluent with Cicero.

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well, it should help with vocabulary in any case. but you can only become fluent with oral/audio practice, not with simply reading. :slight_smile:

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Klewlis, don’t underestimate what one can do. I learned pronunciation strictly from wheelocks, and just a few days ago I tested it by listening to the Latin radio; my pronunciation was perfect. I really have never heard someone speak Latin until then. I don’t mean to sound concieted though!

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On a good note, my friend is learning Latin. With my help, it shouldn’t take too long for him, at least not as long as I did. Then I should get some good practice. :slight_smile:

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Huh? 3/4 through Japanese after 4 months of study? :question:
Sugei yo. Boku wa kotoshi no sangatsu kara tokyo no nihongo gakkou de mainichi nihongo o naratteiru kedo, nakanaka umaku hanasenai yo. Soshite, senshuu no nichiyoubi ni 2 kyuu no nihongo nouryoku shiken o ukemashita ga goukaku shita ka dou ka wakarimasen. Tokorode anata wa takusan no nihon no eiga o mita to kakimashita ga, itsumo donna eiga o miru no? Anime?

The comment by Episcopus about Japanese game shows being strange is right on the mark, but I think that in recent years their oddness has been equaled, if not exceeded, by the ones coming out of America. TV is more or less the same everywhere…moronic.

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Ni hao women shi ma

See generalizations are often right :smiley:

Harry Potter is very hard latin for what it seems to be. It will be more challenging than you think it to be…plus the vocabulary is obscure at times.

Hah I’d like to watch some one here learning latin! :open_mouth:

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Takusan Anime o miru n desu. Demo, jimaku wa nakereba, amari wakarimasen. Motto Nihongo ga wakaru yoo ni naritai n desu. Kakiru no taihen desu ne? Tonikaku, Mononoke Hime ga ichiban Anime suki desu. Akira yori n da. Anata ga Anime o mimasu ka? Nihon de donna eiga ga ichiban suki desu ka? Dono eiga?

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When I say that I am 3/4 through Japanese, that is my book “Japanese,” which is comparable to Wheelocks with how much it covers. But look at me, I done with wheelocks and finishing up the readings in the back, but I still have a long ways to go until I can speak it.

Thankfully, Japanese is a modern language, and I can watch all that media. That will help much.

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Welcome to Textkit!
Where do you live that’s so near Japan? The only word I know is Anime :stuck_out_tongue: (unless of course this word actually has nothing at all to do with the comics).

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Has anybody ever told you ‘well done’? Congratulations for being able in Japanese :wink: