Salvete!
I have been studying Latin since October last year. I already studied all 5 declensions, the degrees of comparison, cardinal and ordinal numbers, pronouns and very little of verbs (three tenses: the present, the future and the imperfect/continuous past; two moods: indicative and subjuntive; both voices. Despite this, I still find it difficult to identify these informations when I see a verb). When should I try to read real Latin texts, and which authors should I try first? I don’t mind consulting the dictionary a lot (I already do that even in my own language when reading any mildly difficult text), especially at the beginning. If it helps, I am using professor Napoleão Mendes de Almeida’s Gramática Latina, a Portuguese Latin textbook (I am from Brazil).
Thank you, John.
You don’t say much about your knowledge of syntax. Morphology is fundamental, but then you need to put the pieces together. Anyway, we have Latin readers here on Textkit.
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The only thing I can use to measure my syntax knowledge is my performance at exercises on translating. I usually do well when translating from Latin to Portuguese and vice-versa, if that helps. I don’t know how similar the exercises in my book are to real texts, but they usually have the words organized in a different way they would in a normal Portuguese sentence (e.g. verbs at the end, the complement far from the completed word, object before verb, etc.). But again: I don’t know if this is enough to get me used to joining the words together when reading real Latin. I think that is all I can say about my syntax knowledge.
Thanks for the readers!
Could I ask a clarifying question, what do you want to get out of reading “real” Latin? Is there a particular topic you are interested in? I see the no reason to not already be reading some Latin right now in your journey to learn the language, but I might start with a novella or an out of copyright Latin reader. That Latin is as real as anything the Romans created. If you are using real to mean ancient, do you like poetry or history? Those different tracks. Cornelius Nepos or Eutropius are accessible early on if you like history. Hyginus would be my recommendation for a love of mythology. As the Romans Did is a great book if you want ancient Latin that is ordered by grammar topics.
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I started learning Latin mainly to read Christian authors (Saint Augustine, Saint Thomas, Saint Bonaventure, papal encyclicals and bulls, etc.), but I am also very interested in other topics (poetry, history, mythology, rhetoric, philosophy…). Thanks for the recommendations!
It sounds like you are far enough on to really benefit from some beginning reading, but not far enough on to get far with most ‘real Latin’.
There are a lot of easy Latin readers you could start with, but if you can spend a little money then the Legentibus App contains a large range of these, all with audio, and that would give you one simple place to start. Read/listen through a bunch of those, and you will find the transition to ‘real’ Latin much, much easier. Alternatively start to read and listen to the textbook Lingua Latina per se Illustrata - even if you aren’t studying it, it makes really excellent reading material that eases you into reading harder material bit by bit.
Secondly, start the Vulgate. It’s easily the easiest Latin I’ve ever read that isn’t for learners, especially narrative sections, the gospels and histories and so on. Given your aims, this is a great place to start! Take it little by little if it is tough at first, but start with John or Mark and go from there.
After that the Imitatione Christi is remarkably easy Latin, and much easier than even Thomas, who isn’t hard if you know your scholastic vocabulary in English. The Imitatione is available at the Latin Library. The excellent Bedwere has produced a marvellous audio version too.
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Hey, I like the Imitation! I read part of it in Portuguese, in an old bilingual edition. Good to know it is easy Latin.
Much thanks!
About LLPSI, I confess I initially rejected it because I thought (influenced by some teachers) it was an “inferior” form of teaching Latin, but now I see that it is to be used at least as a supplementary reader, if not as the main textbook. Much thanks again!