SorrelZG Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 A shocker, I know. Anyway .. I'm using Song School Latin with the little ones and it's been teaching that discipuli is "students" and discipula is female, discipulus for male. It teaches the asking someone's name and answering as "Quid est tuum praenomen?" and "Meum praenomen est .." That seemed simple enough ... Meanwhile, I'm close to finishing GSWL and have been browsing my options over at Amazon and while examining the sample of Wheelock's I find a sample of some conversational Latin in which it is teaching everything completely different from SSL. Apparently discipuli is only for more than one male student and female student/s are referred to seperately? "Quid est nomen tibi?" is how to ask "What's your name?" and "Nomen mihi est .." is how to say "My name is .."? I realize my children are nowhere near Wheelock's but I would appreciate someone helping me understand what is going on with these differences. Experts .. please explain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 *bump* Because I'm interested too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorrelZG Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 *bump* Because I'm interested too! Thanks, Dana, although I got excited thinking I had an answer. :lol: How about I clarify that I didn't mean experts literally and would love to hear from anyone who thinks they can explain .. Even in part! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LND1218 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 SSL is just keeping it simple. They way they ask what is your name is just another way to ask it. Both are correct. I don't like they way SSL does it. I prefer the "Quid est nomen tibi?" Praenomen was the first of three names the Romans had. So it's like they are saying what is your first name. Here is a breakdown of student - discipulus- male student (singular) discipuli- male students (plural) discipula- female student (singular) discipulae- female students (plural) discipuli- male and female students combined Does that help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorrelZG Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Yes. Thank-you. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 In most languages which have a grammatical gender the plural is "sexist": if there are exclusively males, a masculine plural is used; if there are exclusively females, a feminine plural is used; BUT, if there is a mixed group, a masculine plural is used. This is nothing unique to Latin. So, in Latin, discipulae are "students (girls)", while discipuli can be EITHER "students (boys)" OR "students (boys and girls)". Likewise, in Italian, alunne are "students (girls)", while alunni can be EITHER "students (boys)" OR "students (boys and girls)". etc. So when a generic "students" is meant, without further distinction, the masculine form is used and that is why SSL uses it. Not that they could not teach both, prevent confusion and bad habits, but they choose not to. :glare: As regards names, the SSL way of saying it is a literal translation into Latin, "What (quid) is (est) your (tuum) name (praenomen)?". It is technically correct. The Wheelock way of saying it is too complex for SSL because they would have to explain the cases of personal pronouns for that. Mihi is the dative case of ego, and it means "to-me". Tibi means "to-you". The difference between praenomen and nomen is that, in Roman society, the first was a personal name, while the second one determined the gens from which one comes. The third element of a Roman name, cognomen, was essentially a nickname. Sometimes there was even a "second cognomen" called agnomen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorrelZG Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Thank-you, Ester Maria. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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