How do you make your electronic macrons? I make 'em with the Tavultesoft Keyman program and the European Latin keyboard (european.kmx). Installing the program and keyboard file and setting them up was a little difficult the first time, but using them is always easy. Just fire up Keyman into memory, hit your hotkey(s) while inside Word, Explorer, or whatever program you are typing into, and you're ready to type Latin. To type a macron, type the underline key then the vowel, that's all there is to it. There's also a great "Greek Classical" keyboard, from Manual A. Lopez. Oh, and all are free.
Here is added the first consonant question.
Vowels.
Q: What are the Latin vowels?
a, e, i, o, u, and y. The rest are consonants.
Q: How do they sound when short?
a sounds like the “ah” in aha,
e like the “eh” in met,
i like the “i” in bit,
o like the “oh” in omit,
u like the “oo” in foot, and
y like the “y” in Syrius. [like German ü; form lips for oo but say ee].
e like the “eh” in met,
i like the “i” in bit,
o like the “oh” in omit,
u like the “oo” in foot, and
y like the “y” in Syrius. [like German ü; form lips for oo but say ee].
Q: A vowel is short before what letters?
A vowel is short before nd, nt, h, or another vowel. A vowel is also short before final m or t and, in multi-syllable words, l or r.
Q: Long vowels are marked by macrons. How do they sound?
ā (“a-macron”) sounds like the “aah” in father,
ē like the “ey” in they,
ī like the “ee” in machine,
ō like the “oh” in note,
ū like the “ooo” in rule, and
ŷ like “yy.” [like y, above, but held twice as long].
ē like the “ey” in they,
ī like the “ee” in machine,
ō like the “oh” in note,
ū like the “ooo” in rule, and
ŷ like “yy.” [like y, above, but held twice as long].
Q: A vowel is long before what letters?
A vowel is long before nf, ns, nx, and nct.
Q: What are the Latin diphthongs?
The Latin diphthongs are
a-e, “ae” as in aisle,
a-u, “au” as in now,
e-i, “ei” as in eight,
e-u, “eu” as in feud,
o-e, “oe” as in joy, and
u-i, “ui” as in suite.
a-e, “ae” as in aisle,
a-u, “au” as in now,
e-i, “ei” as in eight,
e-u, “eu” as in feud,
o-e, “oe” as in joy, and
u-i, “ui” as in suite.
Consonants.
Q: Most consonants sound like their English equivalents. How do c, g, r, t, and s sound?
Like cat, go, run, to, and see; r is trilled.
Four more consonant questions coming up. We won't cover all the rules because there are simply too many and too many exceptions. We'll just grab the basics, the stuff you are most likely to see and only the ones hardest to remember. Keep practicing every day, several times a day, alone and with a partner. You are not just improving your knowledge, memory, and concentration, you're improving your society.
Rusty,
ReplyDeleteWas "v" actually pronounced like "w"? I read somewhere that scholars now doubt that long-held theory.
If you asked Julius Caesar a question and he simply wanted to answer "yes" or "no," what words would he use?
There's no direct equivalent for yes or no. In most beginner books you are told that they are indicated by repeating the verb or some key word in the question.
DeleteHabuit illīc? Does he live there?
Habuit. Yes.
Nōn habuit. No.
But no can also be given with nōn (not) or minimē (not at all). Yes might be etiam (and, even, also), ita (so, thus), sic (thus, so), or some positive word like that.
Hello, Rick,
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that in the middle of a word v probably was like our w. Latin didn't have a u but for English learners v is represented as a u wherever it should have that w sound, as in the word suite. An example is habuit, meaning he had. The original spelling is habvit but we write habuit and say hah-boo-it or hah-boo-wit. I don't know about the new theory. Perhaps it should sound more like b or f at the beginning of a word like vino, wine, like Spanish or Italian. Just a guess.
I know that modern Greeks get very upset when they hear the reconstructed classical Greek pronunciation, so be careful! I tried to explain to this woman that we pronounce Old English differently than modern English but she wasn't having any of that. Beta should be pronounced like "v" and if I didn't straighten up she was gonna hit me again.
I need to get back to work on these weblogs, just as soon as I get a couple of my other projects finished. Good to hear from you.
Vale!
Ave, Rusty!
ReplyDeleteThat is fascinating about the "yes/no" question.
I wish I knew Latin. I've been reading Cicero's De Finibus in the Loeb edition, with the Latin and English on facing pages. I read the translation, of course, but sometimes glance at the Latin. It's strange how so many of the words seem familiar, although the grammar is so complex I don't know how anybody could learn it. They must have been jolly smart, those Romans.
Vale,
Rick
I've always wondered if I could teach someone Latin one word, phrase, and grammar rule at a time. That's the idea that this purely grammar blog idea grew out of. However, I never found anyone willing to undergo such intense and long lasting torture, so it's on ice until then.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently working on another project where learning Latin is a little more fun. You learn through stories with limited grammar in the stories. You memorize the phrases without too much understanding of what you are saying, leaving the grammar for later. It's how a child learns. Should be done with the first installment of that one in a month or so.
Rusty,
ReplyDeleteIf I have time I'll volunteer as a guinea pig.
Rick