Page:The Popular Educator Volume 1.djvu/26

 1. Thirty-four.

2. Four hundred and seven.

3. Two thousand one hundred and nine.

4. Twenty thousand and fifty-seven.

5. Fifty-five thousand and three.

6. One hundred and five thousand and ten.

7. Seven hundred and ten thousand three hundred and one.

8. Two millions, sixty-three thousand and eight.

9. Eleven thousand eleven hundred and eleven.

10. Fourteen millions and fifty-six.

11. Four hundred and forty millions and seventy-two.

12. Six billions, six millions, six thousand and six.

13. Ninety-six trillions, seven hundred billions and one.

Read off into words the numbers which occur in the following exercises:—

1. 3506

2. 6034

3. 90621

4. 73040

5. 450302

6. 603260

7. 130070

8. 2021305

9. 4506580

10. 1640030

11. 70900038

12. 12604321

13. 70003000

14. 161010602

15. 400031256

16. 967058713

17. 20830720000

18. 8503467039

19. 450670412468

20. 58967324104325

21. 42008120537062035

LESSONS IN LATIN.—I.

INTRODUCTION.

giving to the readers of the lessons which may enable them to learn the Latin language, with no other resources than such as may be supplied by their own care and diligence, we take it for granted that they are desirous of acquiring the necessary skill, and willing to bestow the necessary labour. If the study were not recommended as a good mental discipline; if it were not recommended as giving a key to some of the finest treasures of literature; if it were not recommended as a means of leading us into communion with such minds as those of Cicero, Virgil, Horace, Livy, and Tacitus, it would have a sufficient claim on our attention, as greatly conducing to a full and accurate acquaintance with out mother-tongue—the English. The English language is, for the most part, made up of two elements—the Saxon element and the Latin element. Without a knowledge of both these elements, we cannot be said to know English. If we are familiar with both these elements, we posses means of knowing and writing English, superior to the means which are possessed by many who have received what is called a classical education, and have spent years in learned universities. In order to be in possession of both these elements, we should, for the Saxon element, study German; for the Latin element, the lessons which ensue will suffice.

In the instructions which we are to give, we shall suppose ourselves addressing a reader who, besides some general acquaintance with his mother tongue, has acquired from the English lessons in the, or from some other source, a knowledge of the ordinary terms of English grammar, such as singular, plural, noun, adjective, verb, adverb, etc. The meaning of such words we shall not explain. But everything peculiar as between the English and the Latin shall be explained, as well as any grammatical term which, though used sometimes in English grammar, the reader possibly may not understand. In these explanations we think it safer to err on the side of superfluity rather than on the side of deficiency. We have said that we shall suppose the reader to possess a general acquaintance with the English language. But it is well to suspect oneself as being probably acquainted with it but in an imperfect manner. And this advice is given in the hope that it may lead to the constant use of a good English dictionary. In every case in which there is the least doubt whether or not the exact meaning of any word used is known, the word should be looked out in a dictionary, and put down in a note-book to be kept for the purpose, with the meaning added. When there are, say, a score of words thus entered in the note-book, they must be looked at again and again until their signification is impressed on the memory. If the reader listens to this suggestion, and continues to make progress, he will soon find numerous exemplifications of the assertion above made—namely, that a large proportion of the words of the English language are of Latin origin. Take, for instance, the last sentence. In that sentence alone the following words are derived from the Latin—namely, suggestion, continue, progress, numerous, exemplification, assertion, proportion, language, Latin, origin. Of the thirty-nine words of which the sentence contains, ten are from the Latin. Should the reader ever possess an acquaintance with the science of philology, or the science of languages, he will know that in the sentence there are other words which are found in the Latin as well as in other ancient languages. Independently of this, he now learns that about one-fourth of our English words have come to us from the people who spoke Latin—that is, the Romans and other nations of Italy. In reality, the proportion of Latin words in the English language is very much greater. It should be observed, too, that these Latin words in the sentence are the long and the hard words, and what perhaps may be called "dictionary words." These are the very words which give trouble in reading an English classic, or first-rate author. But they give a person who knows Latin no trouble. With him they are as easy to understand as any common Saxon term, such as father, house, tree. The reason why they have long ceased to give him trouble is, that he is familiar with their roots, or the elements of which they each consist. Having this familiarity, he has no occasion to consult the dictionary. There are thousands of English words of Latin origin, the meaning of which he knows, though he has never looked them out in a dictionary. These lessons will help to put the reader into a similar position; and although he may have no aid but such as these pages afford him. [sic] we do not despair of success in our attempt.

PRONUNCIATION OF LATIN.

We may practically regard the Latin alphabet as the same as the English; and in the pronunciation, too, we may in the main follow the best English usage, remembering always that every vowel is pronounced in Latin, and that some words which in English would be words of one syllable, are words of two syllables in Latin, owing to the distinct pronunciation of every vowel. Thus the word mare in English, the feminine of horse, is pronounce ma-re in Latin, just as we pronounce the English name Mary, and means the sea. The Latin language, in short, has no silent e as we have in English.

Every modern nation pronounces the Latin as it pronounces its own tongue. Thus there are divers methods of pronunciation. This diversity would be inconvenient if the Latin were, like the French, a general medium of verbal intercourse. At one time it was so, and then there prevailed one recognised manner of pronunciation. Now, however, for the most part, Latin is read, not spoken. Consequently the pronunciation is not a matter of consequence. Even in our own country there are diversities, but such diversities are secondary matters. To one or two remarks, however, we should carefully attend. In Latin the vowels are what is called long of short. In other words, on some the accent or stress of the voice is thrown, on others it is not thrown. The vowel a, for instance, is mostly long; the vowel i is mostly short. A long vowel is said to be equal to two short vowels. We English people, however, have no other way of marking a long vowel, except by throwing on it the accent or stress of the voice. It is also a fact that in Latin the same vowel is sometimes short and sometimes long—in other words, the same vowel sometimes has, and sometimes as not, the accent on it: thus the i in dominus, a lord, is without the accent, while the i in doctrina, learning, has the accent: the former, therefore, is pronounced thus, dóm-i-nus; the latter thus, doc-trí-na. Now observe that these words are trisyllables, or words of three syllables. Of these three syllables the last—namely, us—is called the ultimate; the second, in, is called the penult; the first, or dom, is called the antepenult. And the general rule for pronouncing Latin words is, that the accent is thrown on the penult, or if not on the penult, then on the antepenult. In doctrína the accent is on the penult, or last syllable but one. In dóminus, the accent is on the antepenult, or last syllable but two. In order to indicate where to lay the stress of the voice, we shall mark, as in dóminus and doctrína, on which syllable the accent lies. It will then be understood that when we put a mark thus ' over a vowel, we mean thereby that the voice should rest, as it were, on that vowel. For example, in the word, incur, the accent falls on the last syllable, for the stress of the voice is thrown on the syllable cur. This is indicated thus, incúr. So in the latin amicus, a friend, the accent is on the i, and the word is to be pronounced