Language of the Catholic Church and Western Civilization
I found Gwynne's Latin a delightful read. I have a Victorian-era mindset and tastes, and I will always be a huge fan of the Grammar-Translation pedagogy (called 'Drill-and-Kill' by non-fans) that I started my Via Latína with. This book is a direct and concise explanation of the most important rules of Latin, with stern and... Continue Reading →
Did you know that the tune for the Victorian-era Christmas song "Good King Wenceslas" is from a much older song, from the Age of Faith (c. 1300s)? And did you know that the words to that original song are all about Spring?
DE MAGISTRO QUI LEGIT IN AERE ET IN AQUA I just found this passage the other day in Charles H. Beeson’s A Primer of Medieval Latin, p.47-48 (in the Public Domain, c. 1925). Beeson excerpted it from the sermons of James of Vitry, cardinal bishop of Tusculum (died 1240). (It is just the kind of... Continue Reading →
As promised on the post for the original project: I have now collected the last year's-worth of TLM Gospels that I had been coloring by case throughout the year, and have now arranged them, starting naturally with the Sundays of Advent, in chronological order--and turned them into a PDF! Note: This first version of this... Continue Reading →
There is so much going on grammatically here--to say nothing of the Salvation History, narrative drama, or theology of course!
Great vintage book provides Ecclesiastical Latin excerpts and illuminating footnotes, and I am adding case colors to further aid comprehension. This will be great!
If you've had about two years of Latin, either with a Classical focus or of course especially with an Ecclesiastical Latin focus, you will enjoy working your way through these actual, genuine Medieval texts in Latin linked below. Hugh of Fouilloy's 'Aviarum/De Avibus' The Medieval Book of Birds: Hugh of Fouilloy's 'Aviarum' Edition, Translation, and... Continue Reading →
For the brave souls in Intermediate and Advanced Latin, may I present a checklist of things to keep in mind when rendering your thoughts into Latin...
A dash of verb + a pinch of adjective = a participle. (After declining thoroughly, sprinkle liberally over your sentences.) Participles: Latin has three kinds. These verbal adjectives do everything: sometimes are the main verb of a clause, sometimes serve as the subject of a sentence (and do other noun jobs, when they are substantives),... Continue Reading →
After your first year or year-and-a-half of Latin , particularly if you have used Fr. Most's books, you will be ready for a Latin Reader supplement. An excellent choice for visitors to this site would be Charles Beeson's A Primer of Medieval Latin from 1925 which is now out of copyright and available, scanned and... Continue Reading →
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