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Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus: an animal that inhabits the Nile and other rivers in Africa. The hippopotamus resembles a hog rather than a horse. It is thought the animal was named from his neighing voice. The Hippopotamus is the third largest land animal, weighing as much as 9,000...
Visual Latin and Henle Latin
I received this question: Is Visual Latin 1 and 2 designed to only cover Henle 1? Same question I guess, is the online course only to cover Henle 1 then? My reply: Visual Latin covers all of the grammar in Henle 1 and some of the grammar in Henle 2. Visual...
Does Word Up require Latin?
Do I need Visual Latin to use Word Up? Do you want to sound smart? Then listen to old Earl Nightingale, who once said, “Before you do anything else, master your language.” I have taught Latin and Greek for years. I know, from experience, that these languages will...
Hippodrome
Hippodrome: A theater. In ancient times, a race course for horses. This word has changed quite a bit. These days, a hippodrome is a large performance locale. In the old days, a hippodrome was a horse race track. If you have ever watched Ben Hur, you have seen a...
Equidae
Equidae: the scientific term for the horse family. Equidae is a taxonomic family containing horses and related animals. All the related animals are extinct, except those in the family Equus. The Equus family includes horses, zebras, donkeys, and onagers. Not sure...
Hippocampus
Hippocampus: a mythological creature. The hippocampus was part dolphin, part horse. Archaeologists have found paintings to the hippocampus in the ruins of Pompeii. Hippocampus may also refer to a genus of fish with a neck and head that look remarkably like a...
Adduce
Adduce: to bring forward, present or offer for consideration. To cite as evidence. The defense adduced a to prove the fact. Adduce comes from the Latin word adduco, meaning, I lead up to. Adduco derives from two Latin words. The preposition ad: to, or toward, and the...
Latin 2, 3, and 4?
I received this email: "Hi! My daughter is finishing up Lingua Latina with you this semester and she is wanting to go on to do a third year (and eventually fourth year of Latin. Some of the college requirements we have looked at prefer 4 yrs of the same foreign...
Italian
According to Frederick Bodmer, in his book, The Loom of Language, French, Spanish, and Italian derive directly from Latin. "The deeper we delve into the past, the more French, Spanish, and Italian converge. Finally, they become one in Latin, or, to be more accurate,...
Letter to all former students
Hi there! At some point in the past few years, you joined an online Latin class with me. Or, perhaps it was a Greek class. I told you then that you could repeat the class for free. I am here to remind you that I was not kidding. You can repeat the class… for...
Aphorisms and Adages
Aphorism: A maxim; a precept, or principle expressed in few words containing some important truth. "While there are loads of trite and silly statements, a good aphorism is supposed to stand the test of time and remain true and elegant — a very difficult task!" -...
Choose You this weekend.
Do you spend a lot of time watching television? Turn it off. According to the United States Department of Labor, Americans spend almost 3 hours a day watching television. I have seen higher numbers on on other sites. But, hey, let’s give our fellow countrymen the...
Abstruse
Abstruse: hard to understand, difficult to comprehend. English is the clearest language I have ever studied. But, perhaps that is because I did not study English formally. English teachers, it seems, like to muddy the clear waters with their abstruse writing. ...
Plerophory
Plerophory: full confidence; total assurance. With a plerophory of assurance, each of the Avengers spoke into some imaginary, unseen, perfectly clear audio communications system. I mean, seriously, how were they able to seamlessly communicate with each other in the...
Perfunctory
Perfunctory - Done only for the sake of getting rid of the duty. We perform our daily perfunctory tasks with haste and, if possible with minimum effort. For instance, we tend to greet each other with perfunctory greetings. Without genuine interest, we might ask, “How...
Latin – Why pay more?
Years ago, my family was foreclosed on. We ended up living with my wife’s parents for some time. I was a school teacher, earning a teacher's salary. This is not such a bad thing if you work for the government, but I was a teacher in a private school. We had a...
Phillumenist
I am sick and tired. Didn't want to post the word of the day. Could not think about it. Then, one of my daughters said, "I'll help you, dad. How about phillumenist?" I had no idea what a phillumenist was. I looked it up. So, here is the word of the day: Phillumenist:...
After Visual Latin?
I received this inquiry on Facebook: Hope you're doing well, and loving the classes! I'm about half way though the Visual Latin Series and had a questions. "Where do we go after?" Do you have any programs for students who complete the 60 lessons? Here is my relpy: I...
Feedback
I received this comment today. It made me happy. "I'm reading your book, Via, and I'm very impressed. It is a wonderful life-help book and not just for languages. I've never been a very disciplined person, so it will take lots of baby steps; however, your book gives...
Semaphore
Semaphore: A signaling system. A semaphore uses flags, lights, or mechanical arms to send messages, usually to travelers. You might see a semaphore next to the railroad tracks. The word might also refer to a system of sending messages by holding the arms or flags in...
Latin for Americans
I received this email: "Thank you so much for taking time to investigate and answer my questions. I don't know any difference between Classical Roman vocabulary and Ecclesiastical vocabulary. Do you think a child will get confused if he learns both Visual Latin and...
Demonstrative Pronouns
I received this inquiry on Facebook: "Any suggestions to conquer all those confusing Pronouns in chapters 22-24 (VL1)?" Here is my reply: Oh, man. This is a tough one. I am not always thankful for English. But, when it comes to pronouns, I am super thankful for...
Admit
Admit: to allow to enter. There are so many definitions and so many variations of this word, it is probably best to begin with the etymology. Admit comes from the Latin verb admitto, which also has many definitions. Admitto means: to urge on to spur to a gallop to...
Be Grateful.
Here is a reminder I could use every day. One Step Program for a Better Life By Bob Irish A few years back, author and fitness guru Dr. Marcia Hootman was in a tailspin. She was headed for divorce, her health was suffering, and her teenage son had become increasingly...
Pyrophoric
Pyrophoric: liable to ignite spontaneously when exposed to air. You know, like.. Charlie Sheen. While a pyrophoric chemical might ignite, a pyrophoric alloy will produce sparks when struck. Lighter flints, for example, are pyrophoric. The flintlock mechanism in...
Admonish
Admonish: To warn or notify of a fault; to reprove with mildness, to reprove without harshness. Admonish can also mean: To counsel against wrong practices; to caution or advise. To instruct or direct. The English word derives from the French admonester, which came...
Learn Italian for Free!
Think Outside the Border Tip #10 - Who wants to learn Italian? According to Frederick Bodmer, in his book, The Loom of Language, French, Spanish, and Italian derive directly from Latin. "The deeper we delve into the past, the more French, Spanish, and Italian...
Latin and the Romance Languages
The deeper we delve into the past, the more French, Spanish, and Italian converge. Finally, they become one in Latin, or, to be more accurate, in Vulgar Latin as spoken by the common people in the various parts of the Western Roman Empire. - Frederick Bodmer, in The...
Via: Table of Contents
I received this inquiry on Facebook: "Is there a look inside anywhere? Table of contents?" I am still new to this world. Someone else asked for a Kindle edition. I know nothing about publishing on Kindle. Another mountain to climb. I don't mind. I like climbing....
Admire
Admire: To regard with wonder or surprise; to look up to; to look at with approbation, esteem, reverence, affection; to look at with wonder, or pleasure. From Latin admiror, which is a combination of the preposition ad meaning to, or toward, and the verb miror meaning...
Phosphorus
Phosphorus: As a proper noun, an old name Venus, especially seen just before sunrise in the morning sky. Phosphorous is also a chemical element. It highly reactive. When phosphorous comes into contact with the air, it burns. It exists in white (or sometimes yellow),...
Have an amazing day before noon.
“Trying to focus all day is impossible. I learned early in my life that if I got up, ate right, exercised, had spiritual time and then spent just four hours working on my top priorities that it would drive my professional life forward. This has worked for me and for...
Pheromone
Pheromone: Insect cologne. Well, sort of. Pheromones are substances secreted by some animals, usually insects. The pheromones affect other members of the species. Generally, insects secrete pheromones to attract members of the opposite sex. It does not always have...
Adjective
Adjective: In grammar, a word used with a noun, to express the quality of the noun. An adjective gives attributes to the noun. It limits, defines, or specifies the noun. Thus, in the phrase, a wise ruler, wise is the adjective. I am sorry. If you are an...
Change Your Destiny, Starting Tonight
Seven years ago, I was foreclosed on. My family had wiped out financially. My wife and I are extremely frugal. We always have been. I taught in a small private school. I earned about $28,000 a year. She stayed home with the kids. No matter how hard we tried, we...
Heh.
A friend of my wife texted this. For a long time my wife was staring at her phone. When I asked what in the world she was doing, she showed me this.
Periphery
Periphery: the circumference, outside the boundary, the edge, the outskirts. If something is in your peripheral vision, you see it in the side of your line of view. From Greek περιφέρεια: moving around. The Greek word comes from two smaller Greek words. The...
Adhere
Adhere: to stick to. This is the primary meaning. For example: The stamp adheres to the envelope. (If you are under 20 years of age, look it up.) There are several other meanings for adhere. Adhere also means, to be joined. Figuratively, the word means, to hold...
Summer course?
This would make for a fun summer course. The Latin is rather advanced... so, this would be for students who had completed either Lingua Latina: Per Se Illustrata, or Robert Henle's First Year Latin. https://latin4everyone.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/asterix-et-obelix/...
How to join a forum.
Since I did not have to join the forums, I am actually a bit confused by the process. How do students join the forum? Once in, how do they join the correct group? One of my online students sent this note. She says it actually quite simple. Mr Thomas, I did not have...
I hope you are doing this.
Yesterday, I slept in. Sleeping in is a luxury I try to deny myself every day. When I sleep late, bad things happen. If I lose an hour in the morning, I will spend the rest of the day searching for it. So, why do I rise early every morning? I rise early to read....
Paraphernalia
Paraphernalia: belongings; the stuff you need for a particular activity; equipment. From the Greek παρα (pará): beside, and φερνή (phernḗ): things in addition to a dowry. Φερνή derives from φέρω (phérō): I carry. Paraphernalia, which now means “stuff”, once upon a...
Adequate
Adequate: sufficient; equal to the requirement, okay, passable, satisfactory, mediocre. Though it not longer carries this meaning in English, adequate once meant to equalize. The old meaning is closer to its Latin roots. In Latin the preposition ad means, to or...
Abeyance
Abeyance: a temporary halt, a temporary suspension. A temporary period of disuse. Abeyance shows up in English for the first time in 1528. Initially, it has a legal meaning. This makes sense. After all, the word comes from the old French word abeiance. The French...
Order of the cases
I received this inquiry: "I really enjoy your videos in your web site and YouTube. I am confused as for example nouns Nom, Gen, Dat, Acc, Abl in every other source I use it is in a different order for example www.nationalarchives.gov.uk uses Nom, (Voc),Acc, Gen,...
What kind of Genitive?
Oh, the questions kids ask these days. I received this inquiry: "Also, I had a few questions about the chapter. In line 110, it says nec vallum ascendere. I get the point that the Germans aren't climbing the walls because the Romans are throwing spears at them, but...
Never Stop Learning.
Yesterday, I announced all of the upcoming classes I will be teaching this Fall. Naturally, this announcement generated some questions. I was surprised by the theme. People wanted to know, "Is this class only for students? As an adult, may I also join the class?"...
Choose your words carefully.
Instead of a word today, some negative inspiration. Pay attention to the words you use. People notice. "A couple of years ago, I was in a meeting trying to persuade some people of the merits of a business idea. The presentation seemed to be going well: the three...
Do not stop learning!
Yesterday, I announced all of the upcoming classes I will be teaching this Fall. Naturally, this announcement generated some questions. I was surprised by the theme. People wanted to know, "Is this class only for students? As an adult, may I also join the...
After Visual Latin?
I received this inquiry: "If we strive for passing the NLE Level 2, which I am hope translates to a level 2 language equivalent in French, Spanish, etc (?), what additional materials may be necessary, if any, once a student has completed your Lesson 60? I have another...