Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Vatican reporter Giovanna Chirri got the scoop of a lifetime on Monday, breaking the news of Benedict's decision to resign. Why? Because she was the only journalist present who understood what the Pope, who made his announcement in Latin, had said.
To follow Senora Chirri's example, a few simple steps:
READ CHILDREN'S BOOKS IN LATIN
Non mi placent, O Pincerna,
Virent ova! Viret perna!They do not please me, O waiter,
Eggs that are green! Ham that is green!
You can find the Doctore Seuss classics Virent ova! Viret perna! (Green Eggs and Ham), or Cattus Pettasatus (The Cat in the Hat), or even Quomodo Invidiosulus nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem Abrogaverit (How the Grinch Stole Christmas). There's also Winnie Ille Pu, Harry Potter et Philosophi Lapis, Hobbitus Ille, and many others. Get your kids started early!
LEARN YOUR LATIN COMPUTER TERMS
spreadsheet -- tabula computativa
joystick -- manipulus
download -- extrahere
RAM -- memoria volatilis
the program has crashed the system -- systema a programmate dirutum est
World Wide Web -- Tela Totius Terrae
DO YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKING IN LATIN
You could join the social networking site Schola, where all the fun takes place in Latin. Or, if you're not quite ready for that, switch your Facebook language to Latin. Instead of the rather casual and insouciant "How's it going?" it will ask you, with great dignity, "Quid cogitas?" or "What are your thoughts?"
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Comments:
May '10
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Peter Robinson:
This is why everyone hates Latin: holding verbs until the end.
Sep '10
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Learn the name Hans Orberg and for begin learning via Pullins publishing.
Aug '12
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Gaudi!
May '10
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
"HODIE NATUS EST RADICI FRATER"
The infamous error message on the Multics operating system.
(Explanation at the link.)
I worked with Bernie many years ago. He's brilliant, and he would often throw interesting cultural references in software commentary.
Jan '11
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Hopefully most people here have a copy of Henry Beard's Latin phrase books
Jul '12
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
The real reason Rome fell -- verbs at the end. Serva! Barbaros portas, muros!
Jun '10
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Later this afternoon I'll be interviewing by phone with Abu Dhabi. If I get the position, I'll be Ricochet's first economic refugee. Anyone know where I can get children's books in Arabic?
Mar '11
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Peter Robinson:
the program has crashed the system -- systema a programmate dirutum est
I just might put that in an error message or two.
I wonder how you say "problem between keyboard and chair?"
Aug '12
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
FYI. I don't think this kind of (repeated) posts extolling the merits of a dead language appeals to a lot of Ricochettie. Is there some kind of clique in our ranks that enjoys this? Look at all the cool things that are being done in science these days (every day another advance in solar cell technology, or better batteries, or new cancer advances, yada, yada, yada) - not worth a single posting, evidently. How about world affairs (oh, I don't know, maybe an item on the Norks detonating a nuclear bomb of some kilotonnage might be worth a note, or speculating on the prospects of Afghanistan after we pull out our troops, or whether France is up to the task of squashing Al Qaeda in Mali, etc., etc.). I took Latin, three years worth at least. I use Latin phrases all the time. I (sort of) know the when, where and how of using them, but, boy, there are a lot of French, or Spanish or Italian phrases that I don't know that would surely enrich my missives and professional writings, if only we would dedicate a little more space in this forum to those languages. Just saying...
Mar '11
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Romanes Eunt Domus.
Jan '11
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
You'll find English speaking schools in Abu Dhabi. They'll sale children's books in Arabic too.
Apr '11
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Yah, but unless the news is coming out of the Vatican what are the chances the news will come out in Latin?
Nov '10
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Aaron Miller
Peter Robinson:
This is why everyone hates Latin: holding verbs until the end. · 2 hours ago
It's the Reverse Polish Notation of grammars.
Nov '10
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Some stolen Latin phrases (I forget from where):
Si minor plus est ergo nihil sunt omnia.
- If less is more, then nothing is everything.
Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit.
- To boldly go where no man has gone before.
Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est.
- Yes, that is a very large amount of corn.
Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri?
- Ever noticed how wherever you stand, the smoke goes right into your face?
Braccae illae virides cum subucula rosea et tunica Caledonia-quam elenganter concinnatur!
- Those green pants go so well with that pink shirt and the plaid jacket!
Braccae tuae aperiuntur.
- Your fly is open.
Canis meus id comedit.
- My dog ate it.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
- I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.
Tua toga suspina est.
- Your toga is backwards.
Vescere bracis meis.
- Eat my shorts.
Veni, vidi, volo in domum redire.
- I came, I saw, I want to go home.
Mar '11
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
R. Craigen: Some stolen Latin phrases (I forget from where):
Si minor plus est ergo nihil sunt omnia.
- If less is more, then nothing is everything.
Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit.
- To boldly go where no man has gone before.
Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est.
- Yes, that is a very large amount of corn.
Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri?
- Ever noticed how wherever you stand, the smoke goes right into your face?
Braccae illae virides cum subucula rosea et tunica Caledonia-quam elenganter concinnatur!
- Those green pants go so well with that pink shirt and the plaid jacket!
Braccae tuae aperiuntur.
- Your fly is open.
Canis meus id comedit.
- My dog ate it.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
- I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.
Tua toga suspina est.
- Your toga is backwards.
Vescere bracis meis.
- Eat my shorts.
Veni, vidi, volo in domum redire.
- I came, I saw, I want to go home. · 0 minutes ago
Semper ubi sub ubi.
Mar '12
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
May '12
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
There should be one day where all Ricochet posts are in Latin.
May '10
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Oh, and Gaudete, the Christmas Carol I posted in December.
Feb '12
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
In Meet the Romans Prof Mary Beard the presenter featured some extraordinary Romans such as Eurysaces, an eccentric baker, who made a fortune out of the grain trade and built his tomb in the shape of a giant bread oven.. note the wit on his Latin tomb still standing today..Apparet! Geddit? Latin, love it or leaven it..
Feb '12
Re: Quid Cogitas? Or, How to Be Ready the Next Time the News Breaks in Latin
Provocatio accipitur.