Infantulus - Alphabet & Pronunciation - Consonants

Salvēte Discipulī,

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].

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].

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.

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.

Infantulus - Alphabet & Pronunciation - Vowels (con'd)

Do you have a study partner yet? This program is designed to be worked with other people. If you don't have a partner yet, grab someone, anyone, and have them test you every day.

Here are the first six questions. Five questions on the consonants are next.

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].

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].

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.

Infantulus - Alphabet & Pronunciation - Vowels (con'd)

Remember, when sitting for a test you are a "student" of that level. After you answer all the questions perfectly, you become a "teacher." When you know all the questions and answers exactly, you are qualified as an "examiner." I recommend that you memorize about one question every single day, and rehearse all questions and answers you have already learned, several times a day.  There are 21 questions in this first level; you have 16 more to learn after this one.
 
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].

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].

Q: A vowel is long before what letters?

A vowel is long before nf, ns, nx, and nct.

Keep practicing! You want a very strong foundation for your own studies, and you need to be able to recite thousands of facts like these quickly while working in front of your students. Your progress may seem slow to you at first, but keep steadily at it. You know what they say, We overestimate what we can do in the short run but underestimate what we can accomplish over a longer period. Consistent progress and repetition is the key. Especially in language study, the tortoise beats the hare.

Infantulus - Alphabet & Pronunciation - Vowels (con'd)

Salvēte, Discipulī, (Hello, Students),
Here again are the first three questions and answers of the first level, along with the fourth:

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].

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].

So, when we read dēscendendī, the word used to help describe the only way which Winnie Ille Pu knows of coming downstairs, we know that the first e is pronounced long like the "ey" in they while the other two are short like the "eh" in met, and that the final i is pronounced long like the i in machine.

There's that y vowel again, this time new and improved, longer lasting than before. Get it right now, of course, but don't be surprised if it gathers a bit of dust before you get a chance to use it.

Infantulus - Alphabet & Pronunciation - Vowels (con'd)

Here are the first three questions and answers in the first section.

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].

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.

So, when we read ostentantur, they are introduced, in the Alexander Lenard translation of A. A. Milne's story of that "silly old bear," in which Winnie the Pooh and the bees are introduced to us, we know that the e, a, and u are pronounded short like the "eh" in met, the "ah" in aha, and the "oo" in foot.

Infantulus - Alphabet & Pronunciation - Vowels (con'd)

Here are the first two questions in the first level:

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].

These were the sounds, though not the exact mnemonics, I learned when I first began learning Latin through Karen Moh's Latin's Not So Tough! (http://www.greeknstuff.com/) workbook series a decade ago, when my elementary-age children and I first began. (A decade? *Sigh*, tempus fugit, time flies, or literally, time flees.)

You should learn the answers to these questions exactly as written here in order to pass your oral examination and become a teacher of this level. And, to pass to examiner status, you must also know the questions exactly.

Yy is an interesting oddity. Though rare, it is one of those things strange enough that one must spend, seemingly, more time learning it than will ever be spent using it. Hans Orberg's Lingua Latina, for example, has you practice saying Aegyptus, Egypt, and Syria on the first page of Familia Romana, and the whole first conversation of his companion book, Colloquia Personarum, has the children discussing how to pronounce the same two words. My students enjoyed learning how to make the sound - a little bit to distraction, actually. But it's fun.

 

Infantulus - Alphabet & Pronunciation - Vowels

From the first section: 

This section assumes the reconstructed classical pronunciation. You may substitute your own. Infantulus means a little infant, a little child, or one who cannot speak. It’s where our word” infant” comes from, as well as the French, “enfant terrible,” terrible or shocking child.

Here is the first question in the book. All the questions have been formatted in this simple way because of its aural or oral nature and to accomodate multiple ebook readers. There are about 735 questions: 

Q: What are the Latin vowels?

a, e, i, o, u, and y. The rest are consonants. 

This is merely a study and examination text, so it is shorter and simpler than a beginner or grammar book and has not the full discussions you will find there. For example, one thing that is not in the Latin Grammar Rite are the interesting tidbits about how our vowels are not exactly correct, at least according to Roman standards. Wheelock's Latin explains:

The Roman alphabet was like ours except that it lacked the letters j and w. Furthermore, the letter v originally stood for both the sound of the vowel u and the sound of the consonant w. Not till the second century of our era did the rounded u-form appear, but for convenience both v and u are employed in the Latin texts of most modern editions. The letter k was rarely used, and then only before a, in a very few words. The letters y and z were introduced toward the end of the Republic to be used in spelling words of Greek origin.

It's interesting to me that the German word for u is upsilon, which is also the Greek word for y, and that the sounds for German and Greek upsilon (Ψψ) are very similar to that for Latin y. Connectivity, I love it.

Table of Contents

Here are the levels or sections to the LGR ebook. The first several are named after a status or trade in Roman society, army, and government. This is the title you will receive when you pass your oral exam at that level as a student. The other sections, beginning with the irregular verb forms, are named after famous Roman authors. When you pass your oral exam at each author level, you will receive that title to signify your beginning apprenticeship of that author.
As a student, you will be called by the title alone, as a teacher and examiner, you will be the title plus your designation. Exempli gratia (for the sake of example), when you finish the first level, you will be an Infantulus. As a teacher of the first level, you will be an Infantulus Teacher, as an examiner, you will an Infantulus Examiner.

My children like the status/trade/professional level names and the student, teacher, and examiner designations, but the levels named after authors bother me. It makes me feel as though I must find examples for that level from that author exclusively, which is frequently not possible because an author's style may not lend itself to clear illustrations of the principle in question. I have more example to add, so I'll keep thinking about it. Or, maybe I'll cut the gordian knot by just not putting in any examples, at least in this version anyway. We'll see. What do you think?

Part I - Forms

Latin Basics

Infantulus - Alphabet and Pronunciation - 7

Puer - Basic Grammar - 9

Barbarus - Introduction to Declensions - 10

Plebeius - Introduction to Conjugations - 11

Servus - Introduction to Verbs, Present Active Indicative - 12

Paedagogus - Word Order - 13

Libertinus - Yes or No Questions - 14

 

Noun Forms

Peregrinus - Noun Forms: Bases, Stems, How to Decline - 15

Actor - Noun Forms: 1st Declension - 16

Nauta - Noun Forms: 2nd Declension - 16

Mercator - Noun Forms: 2nd Declension, Neuter - 18

Agricola - Noun Forms: 2nd Declension, -ius and -ium. - 18

Pistor - Noun Forms: 3rd Declension - 19

Faber - Noun Forms: Irregular 3rd Declension - 21

Aedificator - Noun Forms: 4th Declension - 22

Artifex - Noun Forms: 5th Declension - 23

Magister - Noun Forms: Defective Nouns - 24

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Pater Familias - Prepositions - 24

Civis - Conjunctions - 26

 

Adjectives

Tiro - Adjective Forms: Basics, 1st & 2nd Declension - 26

Discens - Adjective Forms: The Nine Pronominal Adjectives - 28

Accensus - Adjective Forms: 3rd Declension - 28

Pedes - Adjective Forms: Regular and -er Comparisons - 30

Actarius - Adjective Forms: Irregular Comparison - 31

Strator - Adjective Forms: Cardinal Numbers - 33

Decanus - Adjective Forms: Ordinal and Distributive Numbers - 34

Vexillarius - Adjective Forms: Diminutives - 35

Adverbs

Campidoctor - Adverbs: Formation & Comparison - 35

 

Pronouns

Optio Signiferorum - Pronouns: Personal - 36

Optio Valetudinarii - Pronouns: Possessive - 37

Custos Armorum - Pronouns: Reflexive - 38

Magister Ballistariorum - Pronouns: Intensive - 39

Eques Romanus - Pronouns: Demonstrative - 39

Militiae Petitor - Pronouns: Relative - 41

Tesserarius - Pronouns: Interrogative - 41

Centurio - Pronouns: Indefinite - 42

Verb Forms: Indicative Mood

Centurio Stratorum - Verb Forms: Tenses, Moods, and Forms - 43

Centurio Frumentarius - Verb Forms: Active and Passive Indicative - Present Stem - 44

Centurio Classicus - Verb Forms: Active and Passive Indicative - Perfect Stem - 45

Princeps Castrorum - Verb Forms: Indicative - Irregular - Sum - 46

Pilus Prior - Verb Forms: Active Indicative - Regular Verbs - 47

Princeps Prior - Verb Forms: Passive Indicative - Regular Verbs - 49

Verbs Forms: Subjunctive Mood

Tribunus - Verb Forms: Subjunctive - 51

Tribunus Cohortis - Verb Forms: Subjunctive – Irregular – Sum - 52

Tribunus Liburnarum - Verb Forms: Subjunctive - Present Active & Passive - 52

Tribunus Angusticlavius - Verb Forms: Subjunctive - Imperfect Active & Passive. 53

Praefectus Castrorum - Verb Forms: Subjunctive - Perfect and Pluperfect Active. 54

Patricius - Verb Forms: Subjunctive - Perfect & Pluperfect Passive. 54

Verb Forms: Imperative Mood

Tribunus Laticlavius - Verb Forms: Imperative Mood. 55

Legatus Legionis - Verb Forms: Imperative of Regular Verbs 55

 

Verb Forms: The Infinitive

Iudex - Verb Forms: Infinitive - 57

Verb Forms: Participle, Gerundive, Supine, Gerund

Quaestor - Verb Forms: Participles - 58

Aedilis - Verb Forms: Gerundives, Gerunds, Supine, Active and Passive Periphrastic - 59

Verb Forms: Deponent

Rector Provinciae - Verb Forms: Deponents - 1st Conjugation - 60

Praetor - Verb Forms: Deponents - 2nd Conjugation - 62

Pontifex Maximus - Verb Forms: Deponents - 3rd Conjugation - 63

Consul - Verb Forms: Deponents - 3rd -io Conjugation - 64

Senator - Verb Forms: Deponents - 4th Conjugation - 65

Verb Forms: Irregular

Titus Maccius Plautus - Verb Forms: Irregular - Possum - 66

Marcus Tullius Cicero - Verb Forms: Irregular - Volo, Nolo, Malo - 67

Gaius Iulius Caesar - Verb Forms: Irregular – Fio - 68

Cornelius Nepos - Verb Forms: Irregular – Eo - 69

Titus Lucretius Carus - Verb Forms: Irregular – Eo Compounds - 70

Gaius Sallustius Crispus - Verb Forms: Irregular – Fero - 71

Gaius Valerius Catullus - Verb Forms: Irregular – Fero Compounds - 73

 

Part II - Syntax

Noun Syntax

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio - Noun Syntax: Nominative Case - 73

Publius Vergilius Maro - Noun Syntax: Genitive Case - 74

Quintus Horatius Flaccus - Noun Syntax: Dative Case - 75

Titus Livius - Noun Syntax: Accusative Case - 76

Albius Tibullus - Noun Syntax: Ablative Case - 77

Verb Syntax

Sextus Aurelius Propertius - Verb Syntax: Participles - 79

Publius Ovidius Naso - Verb Syntax: Ablative Absolute - 80

Lucius Annaeus Seneca - Verb Syntax: Gerundive, Gerunds, Passive Periphrastic - 80

Valerius Maximus - Verb Syntax: Infinitives, Indirect Statements - 81

Gaius Petronius Arbiter - Verb Syntax: Impersonal Verbs - 82

Verb Syntax: The Subjunctive

Marcus Fabius Quintilianus - Verb Syntax: The Subjunctive in Independent/Main Clauses - 83

Marcus Anneaus Lucanus - Verb Syntax: Sequence of Tenses - 84

Marcus Valerius Martialis - Verb Syntax: Types of Clauses - 85

Publius Papinius Statius - Verb Syntax: Clauses of Purpose (Final Clauses) - 85

Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis - Verb Syntax: Clauses of Result (Consecutive Clauses) - 86

Publius Cornelius Tacitus - Verb Syntax: Fear Verbs of Fearing; Clauses of Characteristic - 87

Gaius Plinius Secundus - Verb Syntax: Clauses after Cum - 88

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus - Verb Syntax: Conditional Sentences and Proviso Clauses - 88

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus - Verb Syntax: Indirect Questions, Quin, Comparitive Clauses - 89

Appendix 90

Status Levels

This present version is designed for an ebook. The words "forms" and "syntax" are repeated in every title because every ebook reader seems to have a different (and often difficult to navigate) index and I don't want the reader to lose their place.

Salve, Amice. I'm almost ready with the ebook.

I have finished the first pass of the LGR ebooklet. The title and intro so far:

The Latin Grammar Rite
Examination Questions and Answers for Students of Classical Latin
To be asked and answered orally, exactly as written here.

Introduction

Intentions
The goals of this program are not small. Not only do I wish that you master basic Latin grammar more quickly and surely, but also that you increase the capacity of your memory, lengthen and sharpen your attention, and enrich your society.

This program is intended to supplement your standard Latin reading and writing program.

Mechanics
There are, at my last count, 735 questions in 84 sections or levels. The program is self-paced, but one to two years to reach teacher status for all levels is a reasonable goal, a year longer if you work toward examiner status or use this device on small children.

You should study alone, with a friend, and with a teacher to prepare for your oral examinations, which are given publicly before your group by an examiner. As a student, you must answer the questions exactly in order to pass and become a teacher of that level. Likewise, a teacher must know both the questions and the answers exactly before becoming an examiner of that level. This procedure ensures all material is reviewed frequently by everyone and not forgotten.

You may use whatever other mnemonic devices you choose to supplement your studies. I especially recommend my daily Latin chants to first and second year students.

Benefits
In this learning approach you are provided ample time for study. The linear, Q&A, oral format is suited for practice during your daily routine whilst away from your books, walking, exercising, performing your ablutions, or sitting idly, alone or with others.

There is also the peace of mind you will receive because of the efficiency of the questions and answers. I have endeavored to select, organize, and compress all the essential rules of Latin for the easiest understanding and absorption. The questions and answers are concise and easily memorized and, because of their direct and simplistic nature, more easily recalled during your subsequent Latin studies. Having mastered these rules, you will spend less time flipping through grammar books and more time reading and writing Latin. Knowing that you are familiar with all of the basics of Latin grammar, you can confidently proceed in the language.

This rite provides a reason to gather for study and fellowship, as well as acting as an organizing principle. To your memory will be added not only the increased knowledge of Latin but the comforting recollections of the fraternity you experienced during your study and examination periods.

Finally, the gentle peer pressure exerted by public examination offers a healthy emotional stimulus to concentration and memory. Ω

(Sorry I write like that; reading Henry James and epic Latin poetry will do that to you. You should've seen it before I edited it.)

Formatting the ebook is difficult. Fonts are limited to basically two: Times New Roman or Arial. Tables are not allowed and tabs confuse the encoders. Discrepancies which in Word are practially invisible, such as irregular bolding and italicization of periods, commas, and question marks, glow brightly in ebook readers. Every encoder and ebook reader is different and I do not know which reader most people will use. One encoder creates a nice table of contents but puts in too many page separations, another does the opposite. Some readers, such as Ibis, display macrons properly, and some, such as Adobe, don't. I'm going for the least common denominator. If I can find it.