Collins Latin language and Roman culture

477 Pages·2012·2.24 MB·English

by  coll.

Contents
Introduction
Latin pronunciation
Latin Language
Nouns
Using nouns
Gender
Forming plurals
Cases
Declensions
Adjectives
Using adjectives
Declensions
Comparison of adjectives
Pronouns
Personal pronouns
Possessive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns
Determinative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns
Relative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns
Verbs
The four conjugations
The present tense
The present tense: regular -āre (first conjugation) verbs
The present tense: regular -ēre (second conjugation) verbs
The present tense: regular -ere (third conjugation) verbs
The present tense: regular -īre (fourth conjugation) verbs
The present tense: irregular verbs
The imperative
The imperfect tense
The future tense
The perfect tenses
The passive
The present participle
Future participles
Impersonal verbs
The subjunctive
The infinitives
Deponent verbs
Defective verbs
Negatives
Using negatives
Questions
How to ask a question in Latin
Adverbs
Using adverbs
Comparison of adverbs
Prepositions
Using prepositions
Prepositions followed by the ablative case
Prepositions followed by the accusative case
Conjunctions
Using conjunctions
and, but, or, however and therefore
Some other common conjunctions
Numbers
Cardinal numbers
Ordinal numbers
Distributive numbers
Numeral adverbs
Time and date
Expressing time
Calculating dates
Latin Literature
Cicero The last advocate of the Republic
Caesar The legendary chronicler of war
Catullus The true father of the epigram
Virgil The national poet of Rome
Horace The lyrical songster of life
Livy The epic poet of history
Ovid The soft philosopher of love
Martial The unforgiving observer of the world
Tacitus The scathing judge of empire
Pliny The cultured man of letters
Latin Legacy
A-Z of Latin words and phrases
Reference Section
Common uses of the cases
Common principal parts of verbs
Answer key
Sources and Index
About the author
Copyright
Introduction
Whether you are starting to learn Latin for the very first time, brushing
up on topics you have studied with a tutor, or revising for public exams,
Collins Latin Language and Roman Culture is here to help. This easy-to-use
guide takes you through all the basics you will need to read and
understand classical Latin.
Collins Latin Language and Roman Culture is made up of three main parts:
1) Latin Language; 2) Latin Literature; and 3) Latin Legacy.
Newcomers can sometimes struggle with the technical terms they come
across when they start to explore the grammar of a new language. Latin
Language explains how to get to grips with all the parts of speech you
will need to know, using simple language and cutting out jargon.
This part of the book is divided into sections, each dealing with a
particular area of grammar. Each section can be studied individually, as
numerous cross-references in the text point you to other relevant
sections of the book for further information. Exercises (with answers at
the back of the book) are included with all the sections to help you
practise what you have learnt.
Every major section begins with a brief explanation of the area of
grammar covered on the following pages.
What is a verb?
A verb is a ‘doing’ word which describes what someone or
something does, what someone or something is, or what happens to
them (for example, write, is, be eaten).
Each grammar point is followed by simple Latin examples, complete
Each grammar point is followed by simple Latin examples, complete
with English translations, helping you understand the rules. Bold and
underlined text has been used throughout to highlight the grammatical
point being explained.
If you are telling somebody NOT TO DO something, you use the
imperative form of nōlle followed by the infinitive.
puerī, istum poētam audīre nōlīte!
Boys, do not listen to that scandalous poet!
In Latin, as with any foreign language, there are certain pitfalls which
have to be avoided. Tips throughout the sections are useful reminders of
the things that often trip learners up.
TIP
Remember that you NEVER use the verb esse to translate was or were
in forms like was reading or were walking and so on. You change the
Latin verb ending instead.
Key points sum up all the important facts about a particular area of
grammar, to save you time when you are revising and help you focus on
the main grammatical points.
KEY POINTS
• Negatives indicate when something is not happening or is not true.
Latin uses adverbs like nōn (or haud) to indicate this, as well as
certain nouns and adjectives.
• Two negatives used in the same sentence make it affirmative.
• Latin does not use et nōn but nec.
• Latin does not generally use nōn with the subjunctive but nē.
The literature that survives from Roman times allows us to appreciate
what was so special about Roman civilisation and how it has had such
an enormous influence on our own world. Latin Literature is made up
of ten units, each illustrating the work of a particular Latin writer.
Each unit gives a flavour of the best of this remarkable literature in the
original Latin, grouped into themes under English headings to help you
navigate through them. Short introductions and numbered English
translations of every extract help you understand the original Latin.
These translations are deliberately quite literal and for every extract
there is a section headed Nota Bene which explains the most important
grammatical features. For further help with understanding the literature,
a free download with all the original Latin extracts recorded is available
on www.collinslanguage.com/latin-audio.
Appreciating Roman civilisation isn’t just about linguistic competence –
it’s also about cultural knowledge. For you to get a feel for what life was
like in the Roman world, at the end of each unit the Culture Vulture
will give you the information you need to gain a deeper insight into the
Roman world and its people.
The huge influence of the Latin language continues to be felt in many
areas of our lives today. An alphabetical list of over 300 Latin words and
phrases that are still used in current English is provided in Latin Legacy.
Each expression comes with an English translation and any necessary
explanation about its background, as well as a real English example of it
being used.
Finally, the supplement at the end of the book contains a summary of
the Common uses of the cases and a useful list of over 400 Common
principal parts of verbs. As well as a general index, there is also a list
of references for the original Latin extracts.
We hope that you will enjoy using Collins Latin Language and Roman