Latin for People : Latina Pro Populo

by Alexander Humez

Alexander and Nicholas Humez have fashioned an easy-going and satisfying introduction to the language that is the wellspring of the mother tongue. Their brief history of Classical and Vulgar Latin, explanation of the language's grammatical and sound systems, translation exercises, synopsis of grammar, and glossaries of Latin-English and English-Latin will enhance our understanding of every aspect of literature and the world of ideas. In addition, Latin for People contains two closing chapters, hailed as 'invaluable' by The Classical one that translates all the readings in the book and one that suggests further readings.

Genres: Language, Reference, Nonfiction, Humor, Linguistics

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Carl Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as thorough as, say, Wheelock's Latin, but great as a refresher for that Latin you had--well, more than a year or two ago. Also includes a lot of little known facts about Latin and the Romans--and pretty funny to boot!

[Gwendolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite entertaining for a school book. Easy to read and understand. I read it from cover to cover in one sitting with the purpose of getting an overview of the language. The book was wonderfully suited for this, but for a text to from which to learn latin grammar I would recommend something more thorough like Wheelock's.


...ursus in tabernam sic ambulabat.

[Justin Renquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

indispensable. helps with the case endings!!

[Jennieowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humez is funny, doesn’t take himself or even the Latin itself too seriously, and brings history and humor into even the more complex Latiny things. Hoping to bring some of the same wit into my grammar Latin grammar!

[Stephen Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Latina pro Populo" makes use of a goofy quasi-countercultural humour in its writing. However, all of the not-necessarily-funny or even comprehensible jokes aside, the authors chose to use long-winded explanations of Latin grammar, which are ultimately not useful to a person like myself who has not previously studied Latin (though I have studied French for translation; have also learned Italian, German, and Russian, and am currently studying Spanish; both with teachers and auto-didactically). Nonetheless, I only speak English fluently and understand that a language is best learned in a country where it is spoken, and of course with Latin such opportunities would be severely limited, unless one lives -IE- in the Vatican. Although I do not have a degree in linguistics, nor am I a linguistic professional, it is my observation that English itself contains a great deal of Latin-based vocabulary; consequently, once one becomes aware of that, that in itself can aid in understanding Latin.

In support of this text, I appreciated the translation exercises, and found that I was able to understand about 25% of the Latin text presented here. Conversely, I can see that for a beginner, this overview of Latin grammar would seem daunting. I read the various excerpts in Latin (the "fabula"), the vocabulary, the verb conjugations--Out Loud--in an effort to get a feel for the sound of the language (at least as I imagine it sounds). In that regard, there was one glaring omission: I could not find any in-depth discussion in this book in regard to how the Latin language is pronounced. The text contains some interesting historical background of the Latin language and its connection to Greek, and to the predecessor of both Greek and Latin, Proto-Indo-European. In the end, I wish this book had made use of a more structured method for learning and practicing Latin; this text works best as an introduction to Latin. Additionally, to its credit, "Latina pro Populo" does suggest additional resources useful for those wishing to continue their Latin studies; as well as synopsis of Latin grammar, and a glossary.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty funny.