Latin Confusion

[lgliser]

We are in the middle of Prima Latina.  We just learned verb endings:   o, s t, mus, tis, nt.

 

I'm browsing my copy of The Well Trained Mind and in the Latin section she mentions that the verb endings are o, as, at, amus, atis, ant.

 

So.... I'm confused.  What am I missing?

[Piper]

Not that I'm any expert, but  this  was really helpful for me. The endings you learned are correct. TWTM has added the -a- that connects the "stem" to the personal ending only in the first conjugation, present tense. 

 

 

[lgliser]

That is a very helpful chart, thanks!  I'm going to print that out :)

 

I guess I'm still confused as to WHY they added the a in the first conjugation, present tense.  And on the chart, they added an e in the second conjugation. 

[Laura Corin]

That is a very helpful chart, thanks!  I'm going to print that out :)

 

I guess I'm still confused as to WHY they added the a in the first conjugation, present tense.  And on the chart, they added an e in the second conjugation. 

 

The different conjugations just 'go' different ways.  It's like asking, "Why does English say 'children' rather than 'childs'?"  That's just what the language does.

[RootAnn]

It has to do with each conjugation's infinitive form. The first conjugation ends in are. Second conjugation ends in ere. To form the present stem, you drop the 're from the infinitive.

 

You don't learn this until Latina Christiana and really, not until First Form. They come from the principal parts . . . Which you memorize as you go.

[Laurel-in-CA]

This is why I like Latin for Children. They tell you up front that there are different conjugations and have you memorize all 4 principle parts of the verb from day 1 so you're equipped to conjugate more than just the 1st conjugation verbs. Ditto with noun declensions, BTW, there are 5 different ones, each with 5 cases....not to mention the less frequently used locative and vocative.

 

It maketh my head swim.

[RootAnn]

Well, I like knowing everything from the start, but Prima is meant to be taught to 1st-3rd graders.

 

My kids were, in general, older than this and they had enough trouble with the grammar (of the declension/cases) and other concepts (personal endings).

 

Throwing all the principal parts or conjugation at them that early wouldn't have worked.

 

But I know my kids are not as advanced as many on here.

[Laurel-in-CA]

Well, I like knowing everything from the start, but Prima is meant to be taught to 1st-3rd graders.

 

My kids were, in general, older than this and they had enough trouble with the grammar (of the declension/cases) and other concepts (personal endings).

 

Throwing all the principal parts or conjugation at them that early wouldn't have worked.

 

But I know my kids are not as advanced as many on here.

 

I didn't know Prima was for that young....guess it's more like Song School Latin, which doesn't go into endings in much detail at all. I used Latina Christiana I with my older kids, and I was really ticked off when we got to the 2nd declension! LOL

 

So, that's why I chose Latin for Children for my last child....I wanted her to learn the way I was comfortable. We started LFC in 4th grade...after we had some grammar built into the foundation.