h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Elwyn, I digress.

Can I have some homework, magistra?

Yeah sure... *tries desperately to think of something*

Have you read A4103146? If so, in Latina lingua greet me (the teacher), ask how I am and introduce yourself. You may also say anything else that comes to mind from what we've 'discussed'. I will then respond. Sound fun?

In addition to the Latin, please post an English translation of whatever you write, in accordance with the h2g2 rules.

Ave, O magistra! Quod agis, bene? Tibi nomen estne Echo[a]? Mihinomen est Ella.
As follows:
Hail, o teacher. What [how] are you doing, well? Is your name [not] Echo [a for feminine]? My name is Ella [the name I made up to sound latin-like]

I hope that fits? The inserted [...] are of my speculations.

Very good, Elwyn.

Bene sum, gratias. Et te?

I am well, thank you. And you?

When speaking in Latin I use the name 'Sustinula': it's a feminine form of the Latin word for 'echo'. Though since we aren't ancient Romans, we can just insert our own names into the Latin. It's not like when you have to have a 'French name' in French class.

Talking of French class, I've started reading my textbook. I've got to learn first-year over the summer, so I can catch up with my classmates in second-year in the fall. This greeting stuff is like what I'm doing. 'Salut! Ça va?' I really ought to toddle over to the French department...

Sorry for derailing the thread *again*...

Bene, bene sum.
I am well.

Cava bien, et toi?
Salut! (In this sense, bye!)

Oh and my french name is Elisabeth, with an accent over the i.

zut, with accent over the e, so of cours I typed i. Sorry magistra! [How do you apologise in latin? I have I feeling it'll come in handy]

Ave O Magistra!
Mihi nomen est Vamster...a
-Hail o teacher! My name is Vamster..could you assign me a latin sounding name? I have no dictionary to make one up with.

Vah! Denuone latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur.
-Oh! Was I speaking Latin again? Silly me. Sometimes it just sort of slips out.

Ok, so I didn't do that myself. But it's fun!

Yes, do come to the French department!A2658684 Elwyn I see you're already registered

Vale!

Salve!

Bearing in mind I live in the UK, could you suggest a good Latin text book? The one I've got from my library is good and explains about the cases and all the other stuff, but it doesn't have many practice exercises.

Someone in the speaking thread recommended Latin for Dummies, so I'm awaiting my copy (via shipping online)

Athena & Elwyn, I was taught on Wheelock's Latin - it's the standard beginning textbook for high school and college/university students. If you're interested in serious Latin study, that's the one I'd suggest you use. Otherwise, if it's just a hobby, Latin for Dummies will work just fine!

Apologies... I'll have to look into that, I can't think of the words off-hand. You've been reading Latin for All Occasions, haven't you, vamster?

So you want a Latin name vamster? How does 'Iulius' sound? I think it suits you.

Disce! Disce! (Learn! Learn!)

Salve!

I've been playing the games on the Cambridge Schools Classics Project page. Oh dearie me, I need to get a life...

Please can you explain the ablative case to me. I sort of understand the other cases but I don't really have a clue about the ablative.

What does that mean?? unfair, you know i don't have a dictionary...
You're forcing me to resort to a translator!

I can't find it. please tell me what it means, o Magistra!

Vale!

I thought Iuluis was just Julius.

Is it?
*has no idea*

Iulius *is* just Julius. The Romans didn't have a letter 'J', so anywhere you see a J in English, it would be an 'I' in Latin. So we think the Roman chief god was Jupiter, but the Romans *really* called him Iuppiter.

Glad you're enjoying those games, Athena. There's a lot to be said for them.

Okay, the ablative case. This is pretty complicated and deserves a tutorial all to itself, which I won't write this weekend because I'm going to be out of town. But I'll try to explain it briefly here.

Basically, the ablative works with or in the place of prepositions. You might use, for example, the phrase 'sub arbore'. 'Sub' is the preposition 'under', and 'arbore' means tree - but it's in the ablative case. Most prepositions, like 'in' or 'per' or 'de' ('in', 'through' and 'about', respectively) have an ablative noun after them - though a small amount use the accusative. You could also use an ablative in place of a preposition - for example, to indicate how or who did something. For example, you might say 'Cornelius baculo canem verberat' -- Cornelius hit the dog with a stick. (I know, it's not a very nice thing to do, but live with it.) 'Baculo' is ablative, showing *how* and *with what* the thing was done.

Does that make sense? That's the basic idea of the ablative - with or in place of prepositions. You should find the ablative forms of nouns listed with all the other forms in your mnoun charts.

Gratias, I understand now. I shall now go and carry on playing games (I got 50 latin words right in 27 seconds!)

Just to check:

nominative - sunbect
genitive - possessive
acuusative - object
dative - indirect object
ablative - prepositions

Yes? Or no?

I think so ah subject... Was frightened that I missed something on the meaning of sunbect

Ita vero! (That means 'yes' or 'indeed'.)

s off to add it to conversational Latin...

Julius? I don't get it, why is that right for me? And isn't it a man's name?lol

Yes I had to double check that too.

So, when using the ablative for how or what something was done with, you would put the ablative on the noun you are doing it with, so baculo means "with stick", sort of thing?

Joggers just jog.. becomes loggers lust log?

Vale!