Synapsis » latin http://synapsiswarehouse.org Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:21:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 en hourly 1 How do Latin Gerundives work without a object? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/how-do-latin-gerundives-work-without-a-object http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/how-do-latin-gerundives-work-without-a-object#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:54:34 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/how-do-latin-gerundives-work-without-a-object Like if you say ’sibi laborandum est’ without an object that he/she must do to?

My latin teacher said that it isn’t something we should think about or understand now until we learn Latin at A level or beyond. Why do Latin Gerundives without an object work? And is the gerundive always in the same form for it?

It seems to me that you mean the subject, not the object. Although the action of the gerundive is to be performed on the subject, it’s a passive construction, so that the recipient of the action IS the subject. A famous Latin statement using this construction is "Carthago delenda est"–"Carthage must (is to be) destroyed," which Cato the Censor said at the end of every speech he made in the Senate until finally it penetrated or the Senate got tired of hearing him say it, and Rome destroyed Carthage.

The dative word in such a construction is known as the "dative of agent" and refers to the person who must do the action. Such a sentence COULD be translated with the dative as the subject and the real subject as the object, which would certainly be better English. If Cato had said, "Carthago Romae delenda est," he would have literally been saying, "Carthage must be destroyed by Rome," but we might translate the statement as "Rome must destroy Carthage."

If the verb is intransitive, then there’s no need for a subject/object. What would be a direct object of "work"? Yes, we can both think of situations in which there could be one, but there are many more in which there wouldn’t. So the only problem I have with the sentence you offered is "sibi." Without a context, one would puzzle over who "himself" is.

Content now to wait until A-level time?

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/how-do-latin-gerundives-work-without-a-object/feed 3 Is it reasonably normal to mix greek and latin when creating a descriptive term scientific or otherwise? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/is-it-reasonably-normal-to-mix-greek-and-latin-when-creating-a-descriptive-term-scientific-or-otherwise http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/is-it-reasonably-normal-to-mix-greek-and-latin-when-creating-a-descriptive-term-scientific-or-otherwise#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:38:40 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/is-it-reasonably-normal-to-mix-greek-and-latin-when-creating-a-descriptive-term-scientific-or-otherwise Say a word that starts with latin and ends with greek? To name a plant, or animal or object or state of being or religion?

I ask this question because the Scientology website says:
The word Scientology literally means "the study of truth." It comes from the Latin word "scio" meaning "knowing in the fullest sense of the word" and the Greek word "logos" meaning "study of."

It struck me as odd that languages were mixed.

Any other examples of neologisms constructed using diverse linguistic etymology?

It is a mix of two peoples. It is the all round study of truth, no matter the perspective. Mixing languages is not all that bad of a thing. I am and will always be a happy member.

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/is-it-reasonably-normal-to-mix-greek-and-latin-when-creating-a-descriptive-term-scientific-or-otherwise/feed 4 How did the English language get Latin roots? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/how-did-the-english-language-get-latin-roots http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/how-did-the-english-language-get-latin-roots#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:14:55 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/how-did-the-english-language-get-latin-roots My world history teacher will up soemones grade if they answer this question….

If Latin is a romantic language and English is a dramatic one, how did we get Latin roots in English?

English is a Germanic language, not "dramatic." Latin is the ancestor of the Romance (not "romantic") languages but is not one itself. (The Romance languages include French, Spanish, Italian, and several others.)

English has a large stock of words of Latin origin for several reasons. First, the area that is now England was part of the Roman Empire for almost 400 years. No other country that speaks a Germanic language was under Roman rule. Although the Romans withdrew from Britain (about A. A. 409) before the Anglo-Saxons migrated there (c449), the Roman place-names remained.

Then, England was the first Germanic-speaking area to become Christian. Missionaries arrived from Rome in A. D. 597, and the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms converted within a few generations. Of course Latin was the language of the Church, so quite a few Latin words came into the language at that time.

Finally, in 1066 English was conqureed by the Normans, who spoke French and made it the official language of the country through most of the Middle Ages. When English re-emerged as a literary language, it had absorbed a great deal of French–a Romance language. (This last fact is probably the one your teacher is fishing for.)

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/how-did-the-english-language-get-latin-roots/feed 7 What was the latin phrase that Alexander the Great said to his horse Bucephalus when the horse died in battle? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-was-the-latin-phrase-that-alexander-the-great-said-to-his-horse-bucephalus-when-the-horse-died-in-battle http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-was-the-latin-phrase-that-alexander-the-great-said-to-his-horse-bucephalus-when-the-horse-died-in-battle#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:13:45 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-was-the-latin-phrase-that-alexander-the-great-said-to-his-horse-bucephalus-when-the-horse-died-in-battle What was the latin phrase that Alexander the Great said to his horse Bucephalus when the horse died in battle? The English translation is like "you were very much a horse" …or something.

Did he even speak Latin? The Roman Republic wasn’t much to look at in his time, and I doubt that Alexander would have bothered to learn the language of a tribe in Italy. Hey, I could be wrong though.

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-was-the-latin-phrase-that-alexander-the-great-said-to-his-horse-bucephalus-when-the-horse-died-in-battle/feed 2 What is the difference between active and passive in Latin? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-is-the-difference-between-active-and-passive-in-latin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-is-the-difference-between-active-and-passive-in-latin#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:51:44 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-is-the-difference-between-active-and-passive-in-latin In Latin, what is the difference between active and passive?
For example, how would you translate these two words?:
Amabam
Amabar

Thanks

1. Amabam – I loved/ I used to love
2. amabar – I was loved/ I used to be loved

The difference is the same as in all other Indo-European languages, including English

In the first case the subject of the sentence is the person or thing that performs the action of the verb > active.
Verbs are called " transitive" if they can have an accusative object – "Puellam formosam amabam". Only transitive verbs can form a passive.

In English: "I see" (something) is transitive,
"I look (well)" is intransitive.
" I am seen." is a gramatically well formed sentence, but "I am looked" makes no sense.

In the second the subject is the person or thing the action is performed upon, the one that "suffers" the action, thefore "passive" from the deponent verb pati, (patior, passus sum) – to suffer.
The "actor" in the passive voice is described by the preposition "a, ab" + ablative:
"A puella formosa (ablative) amabar"

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-is-the-difference-between-active-and-passive-in-latin/feed 5 What was the latin phrase that Alexander said to his horse Bucephalus when the horse died in battle? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-was-the-latin-phrase-that-alexander-said-to-his-horse-bucephalus-when-the-horse-died-in-battle http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-was-the-latin-phrase-that-alexander-said-to-his-horse-bucephalus-when-the-horse-died-in-battle#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:59:39 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-was-the-latin-phrase-that-alexander-said-to-his-horse-bucephalus-when-the-horse-died-in-battle What was the latin phrase that Alexander said to his horse Bucephalus when the horse died in battle?

Never happened. At the time of Alexander Latin was a language spoken by an obscure tribe on the edge of the Etruscan empire. Even if Alexander had heard of them there was no way he would speak the language.

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-was-the-latin-phrase-that-alexander-said-to-his-horse-bucephalus-when-the-horse-died-in-battle/feed 1 Where is a good vacation destination in Latin America for a young family? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/where-is-a-good-vacation-destination-in-latin-america-for-a-young-family http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/where-is-a-good-vacation-destination-in-latin-america-for-a-young-family#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:37:57 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/where-is-a-good-vacation-destination-in-latin-america-for-a-young-family I’m planning a vacation for my husband, my two-year-old son, and myself. We would like to visit a Latin American country. I can speak basic Spanish (not fluently, but I can usually get my point across). We want to go someplace relatively safe where we can talk to people and experience the culture. Of course, we love warm weather and beaches, but that’s not a must. Can anyone suggest a friendly, laid back vacation destination in Latin America that’s not too touristy? And maybe suggest some fun activities? Thanks!

Safest Destination but Touristy – Punta del Este is one of South America’s premier seaside resorts, and its beautiful beaches, dazzling casinos, world-class restaurants, and upscale shops have lured tourists for almost a century. And, perhaps best of all, it’s located in Uruguay, one of Latin America’s First World countries; a country with one of the continent’s highest standards of living, lowest levels of corruption, and best infrastructures.

Anywhere else in Uruguay will not be as much as a tourist destination (except maybe some areas in Montevideo) but very beautiful and tranquil.

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/where-is-a-good-vacation-destination-in-latin-america-for-a-young-family/feed 8 What are some affordable Health Insurance Options in NYC for Latin American father and his kid to be? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-are-some-affordable-health-insurance-options-in-nyc-for-latin-american-father-and-his-kid-to-be http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-are-some-affordable-health-insurance-options-in-nyc-for-latin-american-father-and-his-kid-to-be#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:22:02 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-are-some-affordable-health-insurance-options-in-nyc-for-latin-american-father-and-his-kid-to-be My friend doesn’t have health insurance and is planning on putting his new baby (born around April) on his policy with him. He’s Latin American and has his permanent residence card, but is not yet a citizen. Anyone know of any affordable plans for him to look into in the Manhattan area?

Try this site,

http://cheap-health-insurance-usa.info/

Here you can get free quotes from different insures in your area just in one minute, its the best way to find an affordable health insurance with a reliable company.

Best Wishes,

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-are-some-affordable-health-insurance-options-in-nyc-for-latin-american-father-and-his-kid-to-be/feed 1 What is the best online latin college courses? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-is-the-best-online-latin-college-courses http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-is-the-best-online-latin-college-courses#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:24:54 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-is-the-best-online-latin-college-courses I am interested in applying to a graduate program in ancient history but I have no foreign language training. Are there any good online college latin courses that I could take?

As I know, this site has top listing of such college courses online – schools.iblogger.org

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-is-the-best-online-latin-college-courses/feed 2 What visuals are good to show about Latin America? http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-visuals-are-good-to-show-about-latin-america http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-visuals-are-good-to-show-about-latin-america#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:37:46 +0000 admin http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-visuals-are-good-to-show-about-latin-america I have a project to do for class about Latin America, and we have to bring visuals. Any ideas what I should bring?

Maybe the Fortuna Volcanoe http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/arenal-volcano-photos.htm

]]> http://synapsiswarehouse.org/latin/what-visuals-are-good-to-show-about-latin-america/feed 3