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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| Jackal11 Groupie United States Joined 5661 days ago 41 posts - 45 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German, Latin | Message 1 of 3 28 December 2009 at 12:13am | IP Logged | |||||
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Does anyone know of a book that contains either the entire Aeneid or the second half of the poem (books 7-12) in the original Latin that uses macrons? The only books I can find have Latin without the macrons, leaving me with the rather unpleasent prospect of having to look up every word to get its proper pronunciation.
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| Cabaire Senior Member Germany Joined 5598 days ago 725 posts - 1352 votes  | Message 2 of 3 29 December 2009 at 12:12am | IP Logged | |||||
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I fear texts were vowel lenght is consequently indicated are very rare. I saw it only in minor editions ore lesson books.
To find the full text of Vergils œuvre with macrons is as improbable as finding a Russian Tolstoj editions with tonic accents or a French Zola edition, were the silent consonants are marked. It is simply no part of the orthography. So do you have to look up every word? Yes and no. Firstly, it is advisable to learn basic vocabulary also phonetically, that means, learn to hear the word ['re:ks], ['ru:stikus] etc. when you see them written. Secondly, learn morphology, the length of the endings, like neuter plural is always a short a. Thirdly, learn metrics. For example 1.1: Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris. From morphology you know: 1) Second a in arma is short. 2) u in virum is short. 3) o in cano is long. 4) u in primus is short. 5) i in oris is long. Always long are diphthongs like oi und ae in Troiae. Metrics give you the rithm -˘˘ -˘˘ -- -- -˘˘ -- (it is a bit of combinatorial analysis, you get used to it after a time) Now I know: 1) i in virum is short. 2) a in cano is short. 3) i in qui is long. 4) i in primus is long. 5) a in ab is short. 6) o in oris is long. The only one left is the a in arma. It may be ărma or ārma. So you open the dictionary one time and learn the word ărma. Now you know: ărmă vĭrŭmquĕ cănō, Troiae quī prīmŭs ăb ōrīs. And lastly, when you learn English, you have to look up every word in the dictionary to pronounce it correctly, which was also a rather "unpleasent prospect", but the people manage it. But to be blunt: most people I know blunder in every second word, when they read Latin aloud, so this is a question of perfectionism in a dead language. PS. You have to differenciate syllable lenght and vowel lenght: Syllable lenght is -˘˘ -˘˘ -- -- -˘˘ --, but vowel lenght is ˘˘˘ ˘˘˘ -- -- -˘˘ -- 3 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Jackal11 Groupie United States Joined 5661 days ago 41 posts - 45 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German, Latin | Message 3 of 3 29 December 2009 at 6:52am | IP Logged | |||||
I feared as much
I don't quite agree; it seems that people have fewer qualms about modifying the text of a dead language than a living one. In any case, there is a book, by Clyde Pharr, that does use macrons for the Aeneid, but it only has the first six books. I was wondering if anyone knew of another book like this that contained at least the second half of the poem. Thanks for the examples by the way. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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