precious stones /  by Anthony Gibbins

Everything I know about cool I learnt in 1994. That was the year of Pulp Fiction. Nothing, I learnt, says cool like some rough looking dudes, a mysterious suitcase and an Uma Thurman haircut.

I can’t tell you what’s in that suitcase, but our sailor has just asked these homines for a gem. What kind of gem?

ruby                             carbunculus

amethyst                     amethystus

jet                                gagates

opal                             opalus

moonstone                  lapis lunae

aquamarine                beryllus aeroides

emerald                      smaragdus

sapphire                      sapphirus

topaz                           topazos

garnet                         carbunculus garamanticus

Just between you and me, my money is on a diamond, adamas.

When the door has opened, two people, a man and a woman, greet the sailor suspiciously. ‘Do you have the gem?’ the sailor asks them.

First Declension Masculine Nouns /  by Anthony Gibbins

The first thing a textbook will tell you about First Declension Nouns is that they all end in –a. The second thing is that they are nearly all Feminine. The exceptions usually given are the Masculine Nouns poeta poet agricola farmer and nauta sailor (hence the subject of this post). But there are many more than these. Just for fun, here are a few;

agripeta one who strives for the possession of land alipta master of a wresting school athleta athlete conviva a dinner guest coprea a low-class buffoon (I wonder what a high-class buffoon is called) faeniseca a resident of the countryside grammatista a teacher of grammar or languages hippotoxota an archer on horseback lanista owner or trainer in a gladiatorial school pirata a pirate umbraticola a lounger in the shade.

These words are all considered Masculine because in ancient Rome they were considered a man’s domain. I see no reason not to treat then as Common is Modern Latin i.e. the Gender is that of the actual individual. That would make a happy (female) lounger in the shade an umbraticola laeta while a happy (male) lounger in the shade would be an umbraticola laetus. Here are a few First Declension Nouns that the Romans did consider Common;

accola a resident advena a stranger amnicola a riverside dweller draconigena one born of a dragon (that’s pretty awesome) and incola a native inhabitant.

Meanwhile the sailor is approaching that room situated on the roof. Holding his suitcase with his right hand he gently knocks on the door.

cui bono? and the Double Dative /  by Anthony Gibbins

At the age of 26, that great Roman patron, politician, and self-promoter, Marcus Tullius Cicero, made a name for himself defending Sextus Roscius against a charge of parricide. Cicero said this;

L. Cassius ille quem populus Romanus verissimum et sapientissimum iudicem putabat identidem in causis quaerere solebat "cui bono" fuisset. 

The famous Lucius Cassius, whom the Roman people used to regard as a very honest and wise judge, was in the habit of asking, time and again, "To whose benefit?"

He then went on to argue that as it was the prosecution themselves who had benefitted from the death of Sextus’ father, that they were the more likely murderers. QED.

cui bono? is arguably the most famous example of Latin’s Double Dative construction, so called because both cui and bono (a Pronoun and Noun respectively) are in what is called the Dative Case.

The first Dative (cui) refers to the person or thing concerned. The second (bono) to the role something serves. Here are some examples. canis est auxilio colono. The dog is a help to the farmer. Both auxilio help and colono farmer are Dative. haec sententia est exemplo discipulae. This sentence is an example for the student. Both exemplo example and disciplae student are Dative. cui bono? cui To whom [was it] bono a benefit?

On today’s page, Marcellus receives $100 from the sale of his painting. pecunia maximo adlevamento est Marcello. The money is a huge relief to Marcellus. Both maximo adlevamento huge relief and Marcello are Dative.

The money is a huge relief to Marcellus. He places it immediately in an envelope (involucro). Tomorrow he will carry the envelope to the bank.

doors, janitors, Janus and January /  by Anthony Gibbins

The word ianua means door. I have a very worn t-shirt adorned with a picture of Jim Morrison and co, and the word ianuae printed in that iconic Doors font. It’s now way too old to make out the image, but I’m loathe to throw it away.

The slave who stood by the door, both guard and greeter of guests, was a ianitor (the root of our janitor), or, if female, a ianitrix.

The god of doorways was Ianus. He was depicted with two faces, one turned in each direction, and he presided over the beginnings and endings of endeavors. He had a special relationship to war, and the twin gates of his temple would be opened at the beginning of aggressions and closed again at the return of, so called, peace. It is telling that at the time of Augustus the gates were said to have been closed twice in Rome’s more than 700 year history!

Finally, there is an adjective Ianuarius that means concerning Ianus. The month sacred to him, situated at the beginning and ending of the year, was the mensis Ianuarius, our January.

Claudia hurries straight to the home of Marcellus. She knocks on the door. The door having been opened, she hands over the money to the very happy Marcellus.

sinus problems /  by Anthony Gibbins

The sailor buys the picture and gives the money to Claudia. Claudia puts the money in her pocket. Simple. Except that the Romans didn’t have pockets, nor a word for them.  From what I can determine, the first pockets made their way into garments in the 13th Century.  The word ‘pocket’ comes from the French poket(e) which means ‘a little poke’, a poke being a ‘pouch’.

So what to do about pockets? Smith’s A Copious and Critical English-Latin Dictionary (1874) says for pocket, ‘no exact word : perhaps sacculus vestimento assutus’.  This translates as ‘a small sack sewn into the clothing’. Accurate, but hardly convenient. A modern German-Latin dictionary suggests funda vestis. But a funda is a sling, used to hurl stones and shot in battle. So, while there may be similarities of shape, there are certainly none of usage. Cassell’s Latin Dictionary begins like this: ‘Render,’ it says, ‘by sacculus (=small bag) or crumena (=purse).’ But then it gets interesting; ‘Or render by sinus, since the ancients had no pockets in their garments, but used the folds in their toga.’

A sinus (pronounce the i like pin) is a bending, curve or fold. Cicero uses it to describe curls of hair and Ovid to describe the windings of a snake. It is used by Virgil for the belly of a sail swollen by the wind. A sinus maritimus is a curving of the coastline, a bay or gulf. And, sure enough, a number of authors use sinus to describe folds in clothing. (Finally, in the 15th Century, it entered medical terminology as a cavity of the body, especially those within the nose.)

But what evidence exists that the folds of a garment were used as pockets? Enough. Ovid speaks of filling the folds with flowers. Both Cicero and Livy have them carrying letters. Marcus Fabius Quintilianus even suggests that they be used for holding money. Hence Cassell’s advice that sinus be used for pocket. I like this line of reasoning, and so I, too, shall ‘render by sinus.’ 

The sailor is very happy. He immediately takes the picture and hands over one hundred dollars to Claudia. Claudia places the money in her pocket.

Yes, We Can! /  by Anthony Gibbins

There is something empowering about recognising what you can do. And nothing says I’m capable quite like saying I’m capable in Latin.

The word for I can or I am able is possum. Its Principal Parts (it doesn’t get the usual four) are possum, posse, potui. I am able, to be able, I was able.

Let’s look at how we Conjugate possum in the Present Tense. Two of these Forms are used in today’s page.

possum           I am able                                         possumus        we are able

potes               You are able                                   potestis           you (all) are able

potest            he or she or it is able                       possunt           they are able

If you take another look at today’s page, you will see that this Verb works with the Infinitive. emere potes. You are able to buy. tradere possum. I can hand over.

What can you do? If you have a dictionary with an English to Latin section, you can do this. Look up a word, say dance. It will tell you that the Verb that means dance is salto saltare saltavi saltatum. The Infinitive will always be the Second Principal Part. saltare possum! I can dance!

Try it, and leave a Comment declaring what you can do! If you don’t have a dictionary (or even if you do), here are a few ideas to get you started.;

aedificare build clamare shout ambulare walk docere teach ridere laugh videre see canere sing currere run fugere flee loqui speak audire listen legere read scribere write dormire sleep fulgere shine bibere drink discere learn edere eat fremere roar ludere play niti strive quiescere rest sapere be wise natare swim ascendere climb cogitare think amare love pingere paint ire go

Oh, and by the way. How great is Claudia? That is really thoughtful.

Claudia knows that Marcellus wants to sell the picture. ‘If you wish,’ she says, ‘you can buy the picture. I am able to hand over your money to the artist.’

The Legonium Like-a-Matic (TM) /  by Anthony Gibbins

'pictura mihi placet!', says the sailor. 'naves mihi placent!', he may have said too. What pleases you? What do you like?

With the Legonium Like-a-Matic (TM), stating your likes has never been easier. Simply choose from our long list of Likeable Things (TM) and add mihi placent! It’s that simple! And useful!

plaustra siphonaria fire trucks, chartulae creditoriae credit cards, arcae cursuales letter boxes, cellae telephocicae phone booths, armariola potionum minibars, carrula emptionis shopping trolleys, venditores actorum diurnorum newsagents, tabellae socolatae chocolate bars, capsica acerrima chillies, fiscinae pomorum fruit baskets, casei molles soft cheeses, placentae nuptiales wedding cakes, sacculi theae tea bags, thermopolia mobilia food trucks, ova elixa boiled eggs, thecae calamariae pencil cases, perspicilla protectoria safety goggles, retinacula taeniae adhaesivae sticky tape dispensers, terebrae pneumaticae jackhammers, hauritoria pulveris vacuum cleaners, obturationes viae traffic jams, birotae automatae motor bikes, stationes ferriviariae train stations, clavae alsulegiae hockey sticks, citharae graves bass guitars, culcitae inflabiles inflatable mattresses, machinae sutoria sewing machines, hippocampi seahorses

mihi placent casei molles et retinacula taeniae adhaesivae! quae tibi placent?

'Do you like the picture?' Claudia asks. 'I like it very much,' the sailor responds. 'For I very much admire ships.'

de Marcello /  by Anthony Gibbins

Marcellus est pictor qui Legonii habitat. Marcellus est pictor optimus cui placet picturas pingere. saepe picturas pingit. Marcellus habitat in parvo cubiculo, nomine cenaculo, sito in summo tabulato pulchri aedificii.

Marcellus multam pecuniam argentariae debet. sed Marcellus illam pecuniam non habet. necesse est ei centum dollares celeriter invenire. sperat picturam navis quae in taberna pendet vendere ut nonnullam pecuniam capiat.

Marcellus is a painter who lives in Legonium. Marcellus is an excellent painter whom it pleases (who likes) to paint pictures. He often paints pictures. Marcellus lives in a small room, called a cenaculum, situated on the top story of a beautiful building.

Marcellus owes much money to the bank. But Marcellus does not have that money. It is necessary for him to quickly find one hundred dollars. He hopes to sell the picture of a ship which hangs in the tavern to get some (not none) money.

Claudia meanwhile enters the tavern called The Highlander. She sees the sailor looking closely at the painting painted by Marcellus. The picture seems to please the sailor.