All right, so now I'm totally outing myself as a geek. You know, one of those crazy people who meet every week, sit around a table and roll weird-looking dice in order to determine who is the smartest, strongest and best (all right, and usually to achieve some greater goal as a team). You wonder what this has to do with languages? Well, even in a fantasy world, different people (and elves, and dwarfs, and orcs...okay, forget it) speak different languages.
Most races start with at least two languages, their own one and a more universal one. The universal language exists so that all party members can actually communicate with each other, even if they are from different races. You can probably compare it to Esperanto, the artificial language created as a universal language. However, unlike in the fantasy RPGs, the universal language in real life is actually spoken by only a small part of people. The crux: As long as most people don't speak Esperanto, people will rather choose to learn a real language like English or French instead of Esperanto, which doesn't help to increase the number of Esperanto speakers....
So what is the difference between the universal language in fantasy RPGs and Esperanto? Those RPGs assume that most people speak the universal language, a status quo which actually offers a great motivation to learn it. You only need to learn one additional language instead of several to be able to speak with others from several different races and regions.
In our real world, English has a similar status quo in many different areas of life. People in most countries speak and understand at least some basic English, and in many business-related areas, especially marketing and IT, English is the universal language for international teams and cooperations. If you speak English, you are, in fact, able to talk to people from many different countries and with many different native languages.
To come back to tabletop RPGs: The main question is whether or not languages are following a logic rule. I say: Yes, they do. Even if the used premise for an artificial universal language is far from reality, the situation that people actually grow up with their native language and a second language used for everyday business is found in many countries. In fact, many families with migration background live in the very same situation; they speak their native language at home and learn the country's official language for their everyday life outside their home.
Language ... the bridge of communication, the magic creator of worlds, the brush and paint of authors. Language is magic. It gives us power. It is something you just have to love.
Wednesday 28 September 2011
Monday 26 September 2011
Breathing Soul into a Story
Have you ever thought about what makes a good story, well, good? Good stories have a soul. They conjure images inside your head, provoke emotions and touch you. They're not just stories; they become part of our life, our memories.
So in a way, writers are like gods. We create those stories, and it is our responsibility to breathe a soul into every one of our stories, to turn them into more than just a mere alignment of words. I've heard from many novel writers that their characters stay with them and become an integral part of their lives until the novel is finished, and that the last word seems like saying farewell to dear friends.
Now, what exactly is the soul of a story? Is it a good plot, or well-developed characters? In my opinion, it is simple: A good story's soul are its emotions. The problem: Actually, it is not as simple, or could you tell for sure what causes a story to have emotions? Some people will be touched by a certain story setting, or a plot arch, because it touches their own life experiences and memories. Other people won't be touched at all by the very same story. People are all different, and they read stories in different ways.
This difference makes writing a good story a damn hard job. The trick is to pour your own emotions into the story while you write it. Let your own joy, fear, sorrow or regret flow into your story, weave your dreams and experiences in, and write a story that touches you, the writer. Your story's soul still won't be noticeable for every one of your readers, but chances are that many of your readers will feel the emotions you wove into the story. Don't be afraid to write about something which makes you break into tears or lets you giggle like a crazy idiot (but you probably might want to write these stories at home and not, like I've done before, in a public place like a café or a bakery). But most important of all: Write because you feel the need to write, not because you force yourself to do it.
So in a way, writers are like gods. We create those stories, and it is our responsibility to breathe a soul into every one of our stories, to turn them into more than just a mere alignment of words. I've heard from many novel writers that their characters stay with them and become an integral part of their lives until the novel is finished, and that the last word seems like saying farewell to dear friends.
Now, what exactly is the soul of a story? Is it a good plot, or well-developed characters? In my opinion, it is simple: A good story's soul are its emotions. The problem: Actually, it is not as simple, or could you tell for sure what causes a story to have emotions? Some people will be touched by a certain story setting, or a plot arch, because it touches their own life experiences and memories. Other people won't be touched at all by the very same story. People are all different, and they read stories in different ways.
This difference makes writing a good story a damn hard job. The trick is to pour your own emotions into the story while you write it. Let your own joy, fear, sorrow or regret flow into your story, weave your dreams and experiences in, and write a story that touches you, the writer. Your story's soul still won't be noticeable for every one of your readers, but chances are that many of your readers will feel the emotions you wove into the story. Don't be afraid to write about something which makes you break into tears or lets you giggle like a crazy idiot (but you probably might want to write these stories at home and not, like I've done before, in a public place like a café or a bakery). But most important of all: Write because you feel the need to write, not because you force yourself to do it.
Saturday 24 September 2011
My Two Cents ... XXIV
This week's phrase is
"to kick one's heels"
It is another idiom I found in said English crime novel (so, yes, by the time my plane landed, I had three bookmarks stuck in my book: one for each of the two idioms I found, and the last one to mark where I had stopped reading).
What does it mean?
In the novel, and according to online sources as well, this idiom means to wait impatiently.
Where does it come from?
This phrase was first mentioned in writing by Samuel Foote in 1760. My sources didn't tell me in which country it originated; however, I looked for Samuel Foote and found that he was an English dramatist.
My two cents:
Another English expression I profoundly like! This idiom makes me see all the impatience and the pacing back and forth of someone waiting impatiently for someone to come or something to happen while summing it up in just three words.
"to kick one's heels"
It is another idiom I found in said English crime novel (so, yes, by the time my plane landed, I had three bookmarks stuck in my book: one for each of the two idioms I found, and the last one to mark where I had stopped reading).
What does it mean?
In the novel, and according to online sources as well, this idiom means to wait impatiently.
Where does it come from?
This phrase was first mentioned in writing by Samuel Foote in 1760. My sources didn't tell me in which country it originated; however, I looked for Samuel Foote and found that he was an English dramatist.
My two cents:
Another English expression I profoundly like! This idiom makes me see all the impatience and the pacing back and forth of someone waiting impatiently for someone to come or something to happen while summing it up in just three words.
Wednesday 21 September 2011
A House of Post-Its
How can you start learning a new language when you have hardly any time to sit down and learn rows of new words?
Get post-its, and lots of them!
Honestly, right now, I'm helping friends to transform their house into a German classroom. There are small post-its all over the place, giving the English word and the German translation (with gender since German knows three different genders).
The trick behind this is that our brain will pick up new things even if we don't actively learn them. It takes longer, and in the case of new words, our brain needs to see them repeatedly before they stick, but this method will help to learn a base vocabulary without actually studying.
I actually used this method before when I wanted to learn Italian pronouns. I couldn't for the hell of it remember which ones were direct and which indirect pronouns and constantly mixed them up, so I just wrote them all down in orderly lists and pinned them to my wardrobe doors (the outsides). Every time I looked at my wardrobe, I saw the lists and unconsciously started reading them. After some time, I finally got my pronouns straight--without the frustration of sitting down and studying!
This said, I can heartily recommend this method for everyone who has a hard time remembering something new. It doesn't need to be language-related; the post-it method would work great with math formulas too, for example. Just one piece of advice: Make sure everyone living together with you is okay with this transformation since they will encounter your post-its daily, and likely for weeks or even months.
Get post-its, and lots of them!
Honestly, right now, I'm helping friends to transform their house into a German classroom. There are small post-its all over the place, giving the English word and the German translation (with gender since German knows three different genders).
The trick behind this is that our brain will pick up new things even if we don't actively learn them. It takes longer, and in the case of new words, our brain needs to see them repeatedly before they stick, but this method will help to learn a base vocabulary without actually studying.
I actually used this method before when I wanted to learn Italian pronouns. I couldn't for the hell of it remember which ones were direct and which indirect pronouns and constantly mixed them up, so I just wrote them all down in orderly lists and pinned them to my wardrobe doors (the outsides). Every time I looked at my wardrobe, I saw the lists and unconsciously started reading them. After some time, I finally got my pronouns straight--without the frustration of sitting down and studying!
This said, I can heartily recommend this method for everyone who has a hard time remembering something new. It doesn't need to be language-related; the post-it method would work great with math formulas too, for example. Just one piece of advice: Make sure everyone living together with you is okay with this transformation since they will encounter your post-its daily, and likely for weeks or even months.
Monday 19 September 2011
Latin for Smartasses, Part IV
Part IV, the last part of my little series of famous Latin quotes!
"Pecunia non olet." (~Money doesn't stink.)
Sueton, Roman writer (~70-130 AD)
The story behind this quote is rather funny. It originated in a discussion between father and son--none other than Roman emperor Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus and his father Vespasian, former emperor--about Vespasian's ways to bring money into Roman's empty pockets. Vespasian apparently taxed urine, and collected and sold the urine from public latrines. Titus wasn't exactly happy about that, and in their discussion, Vespasian got out a coin and held it under Titus' nose, asking, 'Is its smell bothering you?' Titus negated, and Vespasian told him, 'Well, but still, it comes from urine.'
"Fortes fortuna adjuvat." (Luck is with the brave.)
Terenz, Roman poet (~190-158 BC)
This quote is often used to defend risky endeavours, and psychologists even found out that people who tend to take greater risks are generally more satisfied with their lives.
"Proximus est quisque sibi." (~Everyone is closest to himself.)
Terenz, Roman poet (~190-158 BC)
This sentence can be understood in different ways. One possibility is the human instinct which usually puts our own safety first; another possible way to understand it is as excuse to be selfish.
"Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto." (~Nothing human is strange to me.)
Terenz, Roman poet (~190-158 BC) or Seneca the Younger (1-65 AD)
Although it is not quite clear who coined this phrase, there is mainly one use nowadays. It is said to encourage someone to speak frankly by pointing out that nothing could be too weird or strange since it's all human.
"Tempus fugit." (~Time flies.)
Vergil, Roman poet (70-19 BC)
This quote is often used to remind ourselves that life isn't endless. Our time on earth is limited, and although some moments might appear endless, time once lost can never be retrieved.
"Quo vadis?" (~Where do you go?)
the Bible
Nowadays, this quote can be heard not only from religious people. It is used in the sense of doubting that one's life is going in the right direction.
All right, that's it.... I hope you enjoyed this mini series on famous Latin quotes and phrases.
"Pecunia non olet." (~Money doesn't stink.)
Sueton, Roman writer (~70-130 AD)
The story behind this quote is rather funny. It originated in a discussion between father and son--none other than Roman emperor Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus and his father Vespasian, former emperor--about Vespasian's ways to bring money into Roman's empty pockets. Vespasian apparently taxed urine, and collected and sold the urine from public latrines. Titus wasn't exactly happy about that, and in their discussion, Vespasian got out a coin and held it under Titus' nose, asking, 'Is its smell bothering you?' Titus negated, and Vespasian told him, 'Well, but still, it comes from urine.'
"Fortes fortuna adjuvat." (Luck is with the brave.)
Terenz, Roman poet (~190-158 BC)
This quote is often used to defend risky endeavours, and psychologists even found out that people who tend to take greater risks are generally more satisfied with their lives.
"Proximus est quisque sibi." (~Everyone is closest to himself.)
Terenz, Roman poet (~190-158 BC)
This sentence can be understood in different ways. One possibility is the human instinct which usually puts our own safety first; another possible way to understand it is as excuse to be selfish.
"Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto." (~Nothing human is strange to me.)
Terenz, Roman poet (~190-158 BC) or Seneca the Younger (1-65 AD)
Although it is not quite clear who coined this phrase, there is mainly one use nowadays. It is said to encourage someone to speak frankly by pointing out that nothing could be too weird or strange since it's all human.
"Tempus fugit." (~Time flies.)
Vergil, Roman poet (70-19 BC)
This quote is often used to remind ourselves that life isn't endless. Our time on earth is limited, and although some moments might appear endless, time once lost can never be retrieved.
"Quo vadis?" (~Where do you go?)
the Bible
Nowadays, this quote can be heard not only from religious people. It is used in the sense of doubting that one's life is going in the right direction.
All right, that's it.... I hope you enjoyed this mini series on famous Latin quotes and phrases.
Saturday 17 September 2011
My Two Cents ... XXIII
Today's phrase is
"all the world and his aunt"
I found this gem in an English crime novel I'm currently reading and immediately put my bookmark on the page so that I would be able to find it again for Language Love.
What does it mean?
In the novel, it was used in the sense of "everyone" or "a whole lot of people". Furthermore, it seemed that this phrase included both important and not so important people. One source gives "a large group of people of various kinds" as explanation.
Where does it come from?
Unfortunately, I have not been able to pin this idiom down, neither in time, nor in place. However, I found that the original idiom seems to be "all the world and his wife", as opposed to using "aunt".
My two cents:
I have to admit that I like the version with "aunt" much better. When I read this idiom in my crime novel, it immediately made me smile, and I had the feeling I knew exactly what the person using it was feeling about the event in question (the one where all the world and his aunt would be present). Definitely a keeper!
"all the world and his aunt"
I found this gem in an English crime novel I'm currently reading and immediately put my bookmark on the page so that I would be able to find it again for Language Love.
What does it mean?
In the novel, it was used in the sense of "everyone" or "a whole lot of people". Furthermore, it seemed that this phrase included both important and not so important people. One source gives "a large group of people of various kinds" as explanation.
Where does it come from?
Unfortunately, I have not been able to pin this idiom down, neither in time, nor in place. However, I found that the original idiom seems to be "all the world and his wife", as opposed to using "aunt".
My two cents:
I have to admit that I like the version with "aunt" much better. When I read this idiom in my crime novel, it immediately made me smile, and I had the feeling I knew exactly what the person using it was feeling about the event in question (the one where all the world and his aunt would be present). Definitely a keeper!
Wednesday 14 September 2011
Signing Away
A few days ago, I started to learn some sign language from a friend. It's so much fun! We started out with some random words, like "rabbit", "apple", "candy" and "caterpillar", since they were words she remembered right away. Then, we moved on to words I was interested in, and even my first complete sentence. By now, I remember almost the whole alphabet, and maybe twenty random words plus the one sentence. I really hope to learn a lot more from her during the coming weeks and months; I've been interested in learning sign language ever since I met a deaf girl some years back and had to resort to notebook and pen in order to communicate with her. However, I never really started looking for resources, and now that I actually have a friend willing to teach me, I have the intention to learn as much as possible.
You are probably wondering why I take it on me to learn sign language although I know no one who is deaf and restricted to signing? Well, for one thing, I simply love languages, and only because sign language is non-verbal and doesn't have a written form doesn't mean it's no language in its own sense. On another note, I'm always up for a challenge, and sign language is a completely different kind of language compared to anything I have learnt so far. It's interesting, and it will be a skill not many people have.
I figure that even if I won't get over a basic vocabulary, that might actually be enough to start a conversation (and I still can get out my notebook and pen when I get stuck). The only thing I'm wondering: Should I count sign language towards the ten languages I want to know by the time I turn thirty? What do you guys think?
You are probably wondering why I take it on me to learn sign language although I know no one who is deaf and restricted to signing? Well, for one thing, I simply love languages, and only because sign language is non-verbal and doesn't have a written form doesn't mean it's no language in its own sense. On another note, I'm always up for a challenge, and sign language is a completely different kind of language compared to anything I have learnt so far. It's interesting, and it will be a skill not many people have.
I figure that even if I won't get over a basic vocabulary, that might actually be enough to start a conversation (and I still can get out my notebook and pen when I get stuck). The only thing I'm wondering: Should I count sign language towards the ten languages I want to know by the time I turn thirty? What do you guys think?
Monday 12 September 2011
Latin for Smartasses, Part III
Welcome to part III of my little series "Latin for Smartasses"!
"Nomen est omen." (~Name is fate.)
Titus Maccius Plautus, Roman poet (~250-184 BC)
Names always wake certain assossiations. This fact was already known by Titus Maccius Plautus, who coined this short but often cited quote. Nowadays, not only parents but also marketing experts keep this quote in mind when trying to decide on the right name (parents for their children, marketing experts for brands or new products).
"Multum, non multa." (~Much, not many.)
Plinius the Younger, Roman politician and writer (~61-113 AD)
Plinius referred to the opinion that it's not important to read many books (that is, about many different topics, but only gaining superficial knowledge) but much in general, thus gaining deeper knowledge.
"Cum grano salis." (~With a grain of salt.)
Plinius the Older, Roman Scholar (~23-79 AD)
If something should be taken "cum grano salis", with a grain of salt, it shouldn't be taken too seriously. Plinius coined this phrase in one of his publications, where he advised readers to take a certain antidote for snake bites with a grain of salt added to show he wasn't really convinced of its use.
"Errare humanum est." (~To err is human.)
Seneca the Older, Roman speaker (54 BC-39 AD), or Cicero, Roman politician and philosopher (106-43 BC), or Hieronymus, church scholar and saint (347-419 AD)
It is not clear who of the three actually coined this phrase; however, that doesn't change its truth. The phrase is often used in an apology for a stupid mistake.
"Necessarium malum." (~A necessary evil.)
Alexander Severus, Roman emperor (208-235 AD)
Alexander Severus referred to the profession of tax inspectors as a necessary evil after he realised that he couldn't do without them (although he wanted to).
"Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant." (~Ave, Emperor, the moribunds salute you.)
Sueton, Roman writer (~70-130 AD)
This phrase is often used in Asterix comics, and supposedly was said by gladiators to pay their respect to the emperor before fighting to death; however, there isn't evidence to support this assumption. The only written evidence of this phrase is by Sueton, who wrote about a sea battle which had been staged for Emperor Claudius.
Still want more quotes? Then don't miss next week's fourth and last part of "Latin for Smartasses"!
"Nomen est omen." (~Name is fate.)
Titus Maccius Plautus, Roman poet (~250-184 BC)
Names always wake certain assossiations. This fact was already known by Titus Maccius Plautus, who coined this short but often cited quote. Nowadays, not only parents but also marketing experts keep this quote in mind when trying to decide on the right name (parents for their children, marketing experts for brands or new products).
"Multum, non multa." (~Much, not many.)
Plinius the Younger, Roman politician and writer (~61-113 AD)
Plinius referred to the opinion that it's not important to read many books (that is, about many different topics, but only gaining superficial knowledge) but much in general, thus gaining deeper knowledge.
"Cum grano salis." (~With a grain of salt.)
Plinius the Older, Roman Scholar (~23-79 AD)
If something should be taken "cum grano salis", with a grain of salt, it shouldn't be taken too seriously. Plinius coined this phrase in one of his publications, where he advised readers to take a certain antidote for snake bites with a grain of salt added to show he wasn't really convinced of its use.
"Errare humanum est." (~To err is human.)
Seneca the Older, Roman speaker (54 BC-39 AD), or Cicero, Roman politician and philosopher (106-43 BC), or Hieronymus, church scholar and saint (347-419 AD)
It is not clear who of the three actually coined this phrase; however, that doesn't change its truth. The phrase is often used in an apology for a stupid mistake.
"Necessarium malum." (~A necessary evil.)
Alexander Severus, Roman emperor (208-235 AD)
Alexander Severus referred to the profession of tax inspectors as a necessary evil after he realised that he couldn't do without them (although he wanted to).
"Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant." (~Ave, Emperor, the moribunds salute you.)
Sueton, Roman writer (~70-130 AD)
This phrase is often used in Asterix comics, and supposedly was said by gladiators to pay their respect to the emperor before fighting to death; however, there isn't evidence to support this assumption. The only written evidence of this phrase is by Sueton, who wrote about a sea battle which had been staged for Emperor Claudius.
Still want more quotes? Then don't miss next week's fourth and last part of "Latin for Smartasses"!
Saturday 10 September 2011
Irish Word of the Week ... III
Today, you'll learn how to apologise in Irish. An honest apology, especially in the other person's native language, can go a long way to prevent escalation of a situation.
"Tá brón orm!"
Pronunciation: taw braun or am (aw like in law, au like in naughty, o like in doc)
Meaning: I'm sorry.
My connection with the word:
I just think it can't hurt to know how to apologise in another language.
"Tá brón orm!"
Pronunciation: taw braun or am (aw like in law, au like in naughty, o like in doc)
Meaning: I'm sorry.
My connection with the word:
I just think it can't hurt to know how to apologise in another language.
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Common Criticism and Fears
Parents who decide to raise their children with more than one language are often confronted with criticism by their family, neighbours, even paediatricians. I am trying to give an overview of the most common criticisms and fears and the truth behind them in order to help parents to make their choice, and to defend it if necessary.
1) More than one language is too much for a child's brain!
Nope. Sorry, but whoever tries to convince you of this "fact" doesn't know how our human brain works. Children are easily able to learn more than one language at the same time since their brains already possess all the necessary connections for every language in the world. In fact, most of these connections degenerate after the initial window of learning one's native language because they haven't been needed. Newborn children are able to distinguish all about 70 phonemes used by any of the world's languages while grown-ups have lost this extraordinary ability. Most people can only distinguish the phonemes used in their native language(s). Although we can re-learn to distinguish between other phonemes, it takes time and a considerable effort once the initial ability is lost.
2) The brain only has limited resources; thus, when children grow up with more than one native language, some other ability will suffer since the resources are used for the additional language.
This is nonesense as well. The human brain is an extraordinary organ, designed to learn. Our ability to learn new things is only limited by our motivation and time. Some things might come to us easier while others take more effort, but when it comes to the bottom line, we can learn everything we want to and have the opportunity to.
3) Children will learn none of the languages fluently.
This actually depends on the way multiple languages are learnt. Usually, there should be no problem for children to learn more than one language fluently, and to be able to distinguish between the languages. However, children need to be able to distinguish which language is spoken in which context, or by whom, and those people using a language should be fluent (or at least very good) in it. One of the most common methods to bilingualism is the one parent--.one language approach where each one of the parents speaks only in his or her native language with the child. That way, the child will be able to learn both languages fluently and without any danger of mixing them. On a side note, many younger children initially mix their languages when they first start to talk; that is simply due to the fact that they don't yet know all the same words in both languages, and that the pronunciation of words with the same meaning might be easier in one language. When children just start out talking, they usually use the easiest words; however, they already know that they are using different languages. Usually, they stop mixing languages before they start school since they have acquired a great enough vocabulary in both languages by then.
1) More than one language is too much for a child's brain!
Nope. Sorry, but whoever tries to convince you of this "fact" doesn't know how our human brain works. Children are easily able to learn more than one language at the same time since their brains already possess all the necessary connections for every language in the world. In fact, most of these connections degenerate after the initial window of learning one's native language because they haven't been needed. Newborn children are able to distinguish all about 70 phonemes used by any of the world's languages while grown-ups have lost this extraordinary ability. Most people can only distinguish the phonemes used in their native language(s). Although we can re-learn to distinguish between other phonemes, it takes time and a considerable effort once the initial ability is lost.
2) The brain only has limited resources; thus, when children grow up with more than one native language, some other ability will suffer since the resources are used for the additional language.
This is nonesense as well. The human brain is an extraordinary organ, designed to learn. Our ability to learn new things is only limited by our motivation and time. Some things might come to us easier while others take more effort, but when it comes to the bottom line, we can learn everything we want to and have the opportunity to.
3) Children will learn none of the languages fluently.
This actually depends on the way multiple languages are learnt. Usually, there should be no problem for children to learn more than one language fluently, and to be able to distinguish between the languages. However, children need to be able to distinguish which language is spoken in which context, or by whom, and those people using a language should be fluent (or at least very good) in it. One of the most common methods to bilingualism is the one parent--.one language approach where each one of the parents speaks only in his or her native language with the child. That way, the child will be able to learn both languages fluently and without any danger of mixing them. On a side note, many younger children initially mix their languages when they first start to talk; that is simply due to the fact that they don't yet know all the same words in both languages, and that the pronunciation of words with the same meaning might be easier in one language. When children just start out talking, they usually use the easiest words; however, they already know that they are using different languages. Usually, they stop mixing languages before they start school since they have acquired a great enough vocabulary in both languages by then.
Monday 5 September 2011
Latin for Smartasses, Part II
All right, here's part II of my mini series "Latin for Smartasses". Enjoy!
"Alter Ego" (~other self)
Cicero, Roman politician and philosopher (106-43 BC)
It seems to refer to a very good friend who is called one's "alter ego", one's other self, due to a special closeness.
"O tempora, o mores" (~Oh times, oh morales)
Cicero, Roman politician and philosopher (106-43 BC)
Cicero complained about corruption and evil among his peers in his first speech against his political enemy Catilina, who had conspired against the Roman government but still hadn't been punished for it. Nowadays, it is often used in a humorous way.
"Cogito, ergo sum." (~I think, so I am.)
René Descartes, French scientist and philosopher (1596-1650)
Actually, the original version of this quote is French (Je pense, donc je suis.). The Latin version is much more common nowadays, though. With this simple statement, Descartes proves that humans are able to be aware of themselves.
"Panem et circenses." (~Bread and games.)
Juvenal, Roman poet (1st century)
Juvenal crisicised that the Roman people would accept each and every whim and caprice of their government if they were just kept happy with games and free food. In modern politics, this quote is more prevailing than ever, even though the means of keeping the people quiet may be different. Be it a huge sports event during which a government passes unpopular laws without anyone taking notice, or some new law which at first sight helps the people, only to be followed by a second, much more negative one; politicians all around the world seem to have learnt from Roman political strategies. Leaves to see if they learnt from Roman history as well....
"Quod erat demonstrandum (q.e.d.)." (~Which had to be proven.)
Euclid, Greek mathematician (~365-300 BC)
"Quod erat demonstrandum", or rather the short form "q.e.d.", is the common closure of a mathematical proof. Originally, this saying came from the ancient Greek mathematician Euklid, and several other ancient Greek mathematicians used the Greek equivalent as well, long before the Latin version was used.
"Nulla poena sine lege!" (~No crime, no punishment without law.)
Anselm von Feuerbach, German law scientist (1775-1833)
Although the basic principle behind this quote was already put into words by Roman jurist Ulpian, it was indeed a German who coined this quote. This principle is written down in many a country's constitution and aims at protecting the people from arbitrariness by law or government officials (prosecution for an act which wasn't a crime when it happened but was made a crime afterwards, for example).
"Homo homini lupus est." (~One man is the other man's wolf.)
Titus Maccius Plautus, Roman poet (~250-184 BC)
This quote means that one man is another man's foe; men constantly fight each other for various motives (greed, jealousy, envy...). In today's capitalist western world, the truth behind this quote can easily be seen on the financial markets, in politics and big companies and corporate groups.
You still don't have enough of my Latin for Smartasses? You're lucky; there's another part coming up next week!
"Alter Ego" (~other self)
Cicero, Roman politician and philosopher (106-43 BC)
It seems to refer to a very good friend who is called one's "alter ego", one's other self, due to a special closeness.
"O tempora, o mores" (~Oh times, oh morales)
Cicero, Roman politician and philosopher (106-43 BC)
Cicero complained about corruption and evil among his peers in his first speech against his political enemy Catilina, who had conspired against the Roman government but still hadn't been punished for it. Nowadays, it is often used in a humorous way.
"Cogito, ergo sum." (~I think, so I am.)
René Descartes, French scientist and philosopher (1596-1650)
Actually, the original version of this quote is French (Je pense, donc je suis.). The Latin version is much more common nowadays, though. With this simple statement, Descartes proves that humans are able to be aware of themselves.
"Panem et circenses." (~Bread and games.)
Juvenal, Roman poet (1st century)
Juvenal crisicised that the Roman people would accept each and every whim and caprice of their government if they were just kept happy with games and free food. In modern politics, this quote is more prevailing than ever, even though the means of keeping the people quiet may be different. Be it a huge sports event during which a government passes unpopular laws without anyone taking notice, or some new law which at first sight helps the people, only to be followed by a second, much more negative one; politicians all around the world seem to have learnt from Roman political strategies. Leaves to see if they learnt from Roman history as well....
"Quod erat demonstrandum (q.e.d.)." (~Which had to be proven.)
Euclid, Greek mathematician (~365-300 BC)
"Quod erat demonstrandum", or rather the short form "q.e.d.", is the common closure of a mathematical proof. Originally, this saying came from the ancient Greek mathematician Euklid, and several other ancient Greek mathematicians used the Greek equivalent as well, long before the Latin version was used.
"Nulla poena sine lege!" (~No crime, no punishment without law.)
Anselm von Feuerbach, German law scientist (1775-1833)
Although the basic principle behind this quote was already put into words by Roman jurist Ulpian, it was indeed a German who coined this quote. This principle is written down in many a country's constitution and aims at protecting the people from arbitrariness by law or government officials (prosecution for an act which wasn't a crime when it happened but was made a crime afterwards, for example).
"Homo homini lupus est." (~One man is the other man's wolf.)
Titus Maccius Plautus, Roman poet (~250-184 BC)
This quote means that one man is another man's foe; men constantly fight each other for various motives (greed, jealousy, envy...). In today's capitalist western world, the truth behind this quote can easily be seen on the financial markets, in politics and big companies and corporate groups.
You still don't have enough of my Latin for Smartasses? You're lucky; there's another part coming up next week!
Saturday 3 September 2011
Irish Word of the Week ... II
Today's Irish Word of the Week is
"Sláinte!"
Pronunciation: SLAW(y)Nta
Meaning: Cheers!
My connection with the word:
It was actually the first Irish word I learnt. Plus, it's a word you can easily integrate into your next pub evening....
"Sláinte!"
Pronunciation: SLAW(y)Nta
Meaning: Cheers!
My connection with the word:
It was actually the first Irish word I learnt. Plus, it's a word you can easily integrate into your next pub evening....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)