Help me understand this Latin...

[lgliser]

We just started Latin this year (Prima Latina) so we're not very deep into things yet but I like to understand things and I'm not sure if I just missed the explanation or if we're just not really there yet, but help me out.

 

We learned:

 

o means I

s means you

t means he, she, it

mus means we

tis means you (pl.)

nt means they

 

Then we learned the verb "to be"

sum means i am

es means you are (s.)

est means he, she, it is

sumus means we are

estis means you (pl.) are

sunt means they are

I can see the mus, tis, nt but what about the O?  Why isn't I am, sumo? 

 

Same with "to be able"

possum i can

potes you can (s.)

potest he, she, it can

possumus we can

potestis you (pl.) can

possunt they can

 

Are these just irregular, like we have irregulars in English?  I really like to understand!

[Critterfixer]

Yes, they are irregular verbs.

[Sahamamama]

Verbs conjugate. Nouns decline. You may already have that figured out, but when we first started Latin, I needed to be directly told. ;)

 

"Sum, es, est, summus, estis, sunt" -- this is the conjugation you are learning for the "to be" verb, which is an irregular verb. (There are more conjugations for "to be," but this what you're learning now.)

 

"Possum, potes, potest, possumus, potestis, possunt" -- this is the conjugation you are learning for the "to be able to" verb, which is also an irregular verb.

 

The endings -- "-o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt" -- are the personal pronoun endings for regular verbs. They basically tell you which pronoun to place in front of the verb when you translate to English. So, "voco" is "I call" while "vocamus" is "we call." HTH.

 

 

 

[KrissiK]

When we first started Latin, I didn't get it. At all. I didn't get the way the language was structured, I didn't get declensions or conjugations or the whole "personal endings" thing. But what I tried to do is just put my frustration and confusion on hold and just keep doing the program. I did the program with all my kids. My oldest son is in b&m school, so we quit Latin with him (I wanted to keep going by after schooling him, but he struggled with his regular homework, so we just dropped Latin), my second son is in Second Form and my oldest daughter is almost through Latina Christian 1. I listened to the DVDs with them, and now I even do the exercises with my DS as well as going through Henle on my own. Understanding will come. It really will. Somehow, by letting the DVDs teach you and just going through the recitations and the exercises, you will understand. I don't know how it happens, but it does.

[lgliser]

 

Verbs conjugate. Nouns decline. You may already have that figured out, but when we first started Latin, I needed to be directly told. ;)

 

"Sum, es, est, summus, estis, sunt" -- this is the conjugation you are learning for the "to be" verb, which is an irregular verb. (There are more conjugations for "to be," but this what you're learning now.)

 

"Possum, potes, potest, possumus, potestis, possunt" -- this is the conjugation you are learning for the "to be able to" verb, which is also an irregular verb.

 

The endings -- "-o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt" -- are the personal pronoun endings for regular verbs. They basically tell you which pronoun to place in front of the verb when you translate to English. So, "voco" is "I call" while "vocamus" is "we call." HTH.

Thanks, super helpful! 

One little thing that I still wonder is why is it vocAmus and not vocmus?  Will it become clear as we study more? 

 

 

When we first started Latin, I didn't get it. At all. I didn't get the way the language was structured, I didn't get declensions or conjugations or the whole "personal endings" thing. But what I tried to do is just put my frustration and confusion on hold and just keep doing the program. I did the program with all my kids. My oldest son is in b&m school, so we quit Latin with him (I wanted to keep going by after schooling him, but he struggled with his regular homework, so we just dropped Latin), my second son is in Second Form and my oldest daughter is almost through Latina Christian 1. I listened to the DVDs with them, and now I even do the exercises with my DS as well as going through Henle on my own. Understanding will come. It really will. Somehow, by letting the DVDs teach you and just going through the recitations and the exercises, you will understand. I don't know how it happens, but it does.

I am understanding the conjugations so far, but we haven't gotten into declensions yet.  I know of them though and I've googled what it means so many times just so I'll have it in my head.  I'm still not sure I really get it yet, but that's ok because like I said, we haven't even gotten to them yet.

Thanks for the encouragement!  So do you think the DVDs are good to have with Second Form Latin?  I didn't get them with Prima Latina.  Maybe I should have!

[KrissiK]

Thanks, super helpful!

One little thing that I still wonder is why is it vocAmus and not vocmus? Will it become clear as we study more?

 

I am understanding the conjugations so far, but we haven't gotten into declensions yet. I know of them though and I've googled what it means so many times just so I'll have it in my head. I'm still not sure I really get it yet, but that's ok because like I said, we haven't even gotten to them yet.

Thanks for the encouragement! So do you think the DVDs are good to have with Second Form Latin? I didn't get them with Prima Latina. Maybe I should have!

It's vocAmus because "voca-" is the stem and "a" is the stem vowel. Understanding will come. I promise. The Form DVDs are better than PL and LC1. Glen does the DVDs instead of Leigh and Glen is not nearly so wordy as Leigh. I found the DVDs very helpful. Necessary, in fact. But that's just me.

[RootAnn]

Some programs say the personal pronouns are o/m, s, t, mus, tis, nt to help you out with the 'm' in sum. I think that's confusing because my kids didn't have trouble internalizing that the 'to be' verb was just different.

 

You will learn about that 'a' in vocas, vocat, vocamus, vocatis, vocant. It is called a stem vowel and differs depending on which conjugation (1st, 2nd, etc.) that you are working with.

Just like there are infinitives in English (to be, to call, to help, to run), there are infinitives in Latin (esse, vocare, etc.). You are going to take the infinitive & drop the ending * but keep the stem vowel (always an 'a' in the 1st conjugation) when you conjugate the verbs, adding tense endings, adding personal endings & such.

 

Great questions! It might help you to work ahead in either the MP programs or grab Henle or another program that lays it out a bit more at the beginning than MP's starter programs.

 

Edited to add:  I needed the DVDs the first time through Prima & Latina Christiana. They are certainly helpful in the Forms. ... And Krissi probably already knows this, but Glen doesn't do the 3rd Form DVDs. I miss him.  :sad:  The new guy is ok, but even though he talks fast, I preferred Glen.

Edited March 2, 2016 by RootAnn

[KrissiK]

 

Edited to add: I needed the DVDs the first time through Prima & Latina Christiana. They are certainly helpful in the Forms. ... And Krissi probably already knows this, but Glen doesn't do the 3rd Form DVDs. I miss him. :sad: The new guy is ok, but even though he talks fast, I preferred Glen.

I know, I'm not looking forward to that. Glen was a hoot. I loved his rear-view glasses and Lego illustrations.

[lgliser]

Thanks, People!  Great info!  I think working ahead is a great idea.  I need to look into Henle I think...

[Beth in Mint Hill]

Some programs say the personal pronouns are o/m, s, t, mus, tis, nt to help you out with the 'm' in sum. I think that's confusing because my kids didn't have trouble internalizing that the 'to be' verb was just different.

 

Fwiw, the -m is found in many more places than just on "sum." You can explain to your students that the alternative -m ending is going to be found on the verbs whenever they are in the subjunctive mood, and also in the Imperfect tense, indicative. In later grammar the -m is used for the 1st person singular much more than the -o is!  

 

:)

[Beth in Mint Hill]

Hi Laney, 

I just saw this discussion and thought that perhaps my free sample tutorials for Latina Ponti could be helpful... Here is the website. And please know that these are not just a teaser for you; you should be able to glean enough knowledge from these to help you understand the first two years of elementary Latin--or more! In the Ch 1 and Ch 5 tutorials you will find lots of explanation on the way Latin works in general.  

 

I have been teaching an overview summer course for parents since about 2001, and have had SO many moms tell me that they were finally able to understand Latin, even after just the first two sessions. Here is a sample of the online version of the "Mom's Latin" (slide over to 10 minutes in to start the Latin content).

 

Wishing you great success with the Latin!

 

 

Thanks, super helpful! 

One little thing that I still wonder is why is it vocAmus and not vocmus?  Will it become clear as we study more? 

 

I am understanding the conjugations so far, but we haven't gotten into declensions yet.  I know of them though and I've googled what it means so many times just so I'll have it in my head.  I'm still not sure I really get it yet, but that's ok because like I said, we haven't even gotten to them yet.

Thanks for the encouragement!  So do you think the DVDs are good to have with Second Form Latin?  I didn't get them with Prima Latina.  Maybe I should have!

 

Edited April 1, 2016 by Beth in Mint Hill

[lgliser]

 

Hi Laney, 

I just saw this discussion and thought that perhaps my free sample tutorials for Latina Ponti could be helpful... Here is the website. And please know that these are not just a teaser for you; you should be able to glean enough knowledge from these to help you understand the first two years of elementary Latin--or more! In the Ch 1 and Ch 5 tutorials you will find lots of explanation on the way Latin works in general.  

 

I have been teaching an overview summer course for parents since about 2001, and have had SO many moms tell me that they were finally able to understand Latin, even after just the first two sessions. Here is a sample of the online version of the "Mom's Latin" (slide over to 10 minutes in to start the Latin content).

 

Wishing you great success with the Latin!

WOW!  Thank you SO much!

[Reefgazer]

Sum and possum are irregular.  In fact, you won't see possum again until Third Form Latin.

 

We just started Latin this year (Prima Latina) so we're not very deep into things yet but I like to understand things and I'm not sure if I just missed the explanation or if we're just not really there yet, but help me out.

 

We learned:

 

o means I

s means you

t means he, she, it

mus means we

tis means you (pl.)

nt means they

 

Then we learned the verb "to be"

sum means i am

es means you are (s.)

est means he, she, it is

sumus means we are

estis means you (pl.) are

sunt means they are

I can see the mus, tis, nt but what about the O?  Why isn't I am, sumo? 

 

Same with "to be able"

possum i can

potes you can (s.)

potest he, she, it can

possumus we can

potestis you (pl.) can

possunt they can

 

Are these just irregular, like we have irregulars in English?  I really like to understand!

 

Edited April 2, 2016 by reefgazer

[hartley331]

Following. Hoping to start Latin this year.

[StartingOver]

Following. Hoping to start Latin this year.

I highly recommend for an introduction, for a child above third grade or for yourself before teaching the child/children to see some of the "big picture," Getting started with Latin. I am one who can't just memorize because someone says to. I need to see where it is headed at least in the short term. A single word a day, daily translation. A wonderful introduction for anyone.

Edited August 9, 2016 by StartingOver

[happypamama]

I second the recommendation for Getting Started With Latin. It is fantastic and leads well into other programs. If you can read Kindle books, I think the Kindle version is about $10. GSWL will make Latin make so much sense.

[Classical Katharine]

Some programs aim to "streamline" by not explaining--for users who'd rather memorize now, and understand later--while others do explain, either to the teacher only (in teacher resources), or to the student and the teacher. This is one of the many ways in which programs differ from one another and suit different users with different preferences. It's good that you've realized what kind of student you are yourself!