this post was submitted on 25 May 2024
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I don't think this is accurate, but it's pretty funny.
edit: to clarify, I meant I don't think the Google translation is accurate. But it sounds like the OP translation is not totally accurate either.
Google translate sucks at Latin... Discō is in no way "I am going." It could be translated as "I am learning (by means of, regarding, in some way relating to) hell/"The Inferno" (which could be taken symbolically as torture)." So yeah, they're stretching the grammar a bit, although I've seen worse in Cicero. A less poetic translation would be "Per dolorem disco," but that's nowhere near as funny to say aloud...
Source: 4 years of Henle Latin plus two years prior of grammar and vocabulary.
As a Latin teacher I can back up your assessment; well done! And 100% agree on Cicero, especially his private letters.
Since it's rare to come across Latin teachers in the wild. I had Latin for four years and don't remember most of it but wasn't bad at it either I guess. How should I approach refreshing my knowledge and are there communities for like minded people who would like to help someone out?
Sadly I haven't seen any active communities here on Lemmy; Reddit has/had one (I haven't checked in on them in a long while though). As to what resources you would need for a refresher, I'd recommend something like Wheelock's Latin Reader, which is full of adapted and original texts to get you some practice. As to the grammar side of things, either a formal reference grammar like Allen and Greenough's or Bennet's. If you want something more structured, I'd recommend a collegiate textbook, such as A New Latin Primer (I use this with both my collegiate and (upper-level) high school students). Lastly, if you'd like some bite-sized refreshers on specific topics, Latin Tutorial on Youtube is a good resource. Hope that helps! Edit: Turns out Bennet's grammar is available at the Latin Library: https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/bennett.html
Wow, thank you very much! Now I just hope that I can keep up the motivation!
But if I may ask, what got you into teaching Latin? From my limited point of view there are not many people really into it and most of the time it's a requirement for other fields.
I started taking Latin in college and got immersed in it and other languages, it stimulates the analytical side of my brain quite nicely. I ended up getting a degree in Classical Studies, then looped back and got my teaching credentials when grad school admissions in my field got bombed into oblivion by the crash in '08.
Thanks for the knowledgeable insight!
Maybe in a literal sense, sure. But I believe it’s more of a nuanced way of saying “I learn through suffering”. Similar in nature to how people use words like bad or hot or rizz to mean something that’s essentially good, while none of those words mean something good/positive (ignoring the fact that rizz didn’t exist until recently).
Yes, and Google Translate is a huge red flag as well. Having taken six years of Latin in school I can confidently say that Google will lie to your face. Discō does not mean "I go / am going" (eō would be more appropriate). It directly means "I am learning" with "hell" in the ablative case, so it's assumed to mean "I'm learning (through / by means of) hell / Inferno." So it's very poetic, but the given translation of "I am learning by way of hellfire (torture)" certainly works. I've seen stranger from Cicero...