6

While we're stuck in quarantine I have plenty of time to create. Here's what I've tried doing so far:

  1. Helping answer easy questions on the Stack Exchange
  2. Translating songs into Latin/Writing songs in Latin

Here are some of ideas I have:

  1. Writing a Latin soap opera
  2. Writing a book in Latin
  3. Creating a learning-latin CD (this would mostly be for myself to learn new vocabulary)
  4. Writing vocabulary on sticky notes and putting them on things around the house

What are some more creative Latin things I can do with my time?

10
  • 1
    Interesting! several weeks ago I was working on simple software to learn verbs declensions but I stopped working on this. If that might interest you, I might give it another push (I think the hard part is behind me in developing this), and put this online somehow.
    – d_e
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 6:54
  • @d_e I'd definitely be interested in something like that. It would be awesome to have something that taught declension and conjugation more broadly as that's probably the biggest hurdle for most people.
    – Adam
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 12:50
  • 1
    @Adam, I finally have it now (the site to practice verbs inflections). just notifying here, for I don't know other way to do it ... this is the site. Hopefully it will have it's value for you and others.
    – d_e
    Commented Jun 24, 2020 at 10:16
  • 1
    @d_e That is a pretty cool! I linked it and credited you on the How Can I Study Latin on My Own question.
    – Adam
    Commented Jun 24, 2020 at 17:55
  • 1
    @Adam, wonderful. thanks!
    – d_e
    Commented Jun 24, 2020 at 19:02

2 Answers 2

3

I'd keep my advice simple on this: Do anything that you like.

I mean it; the rest is just a commentary on this. If you enjoy doing something and can think of a way to combine it with Latin, go ahead and do it. You can create or recreate — if drawing your own comic in Latin sounds like too big a project, take a comic and write new texts in Latin. If it becomes a chore, you will grow tired of it. Be prepared to switch to something else if you are no longer happy with something. Remember, you are looking for ways to enjoy Latin — unless I completely misunderstand your premise.

The second piece of advice is also general: Start small enough and keep moving.

If you haven't written a two-page story in Latin, don't start a book. Start small and grow from there. Your writing will not only grow in size but in quality. You need to make errors, look back on them, and do the next thing better. Don't get stuck polishing one thing; your first work will not be a crown jewel. Of course, as time goes by and your prowess and interest grows, you can move further and make bigger commitments to hobby projects. My experience is that starting too big leads to ending too soon.

With the general things out of the way, let me suggest a couple of activities:

  • Try to use Latin to express daily things. How would I order a pizza in Latin? I need to retie my shoelaces — how do I say that in Latin? What should the minifigures of my medieval Lego set say in Latin?

  • Find someone to communicate with in Latin. There must be a number of options out there, but my suggestion is our chat room. It uses mainly English, but occasionally Latin too. If you drop by and ask to chat in Latin, I'm sure it won't be met with resistance.

  • Translate song lyrics to Latin. A more narrowly defined goal can make things easier. Coming up with everything from scratch can be quite a task, but translating a song that speaks to you is much easier to handle. Of course, it doesn't have to be a song but they can be easy to approach.

  • Write something in Latin. It could be anything: a poem, a shopping list, a story of the adventurous Lego minifigures, a letter to someone you can't meet. It's often best to start by emulating something else, perhaps only with minor changes. Can you tell about your grandfather's bravery like Virgil would have?

  • Read something in Latin. This could be whole book, a couple of poems by Catullus, or anything else. A lot of comics have been translated to Latin. Start small enough. Depending on your experience, a textbook can be a good start — but feel free to skip any chapters you don't like as nothing will be in the test.

  • Read something about Latin. Did you buy a Latin grammar years ago to check individual things every now and then? Now is a good time to read the whole thing and get a better big picture. Or learn about etymology or pronunciation or general linguistics; whatever Wikipedia or other endeavors lead you to.

  • Watch a movie in Latin.

  • Help other users on this site. Answer questions. It doesn't have to be perfect to be helpful.

  • Ask about Latin. If you try to do something with Latin, you'll probably encounter some difficulties. Here's a site full of friends to help you!

  • If something occurs to you and sounds fun, give it a try.

2
  • Very good answer, Joonas. By the way, I've just realized that the current number of your answers is: 666. A very bad number, isn't it? So may I suggest you answer another question asap? ;-)
    – Mitomino
    Commented Apr 4, 2020 at 18:53
  • @Mitomino Thanks! I just remedied that and got past the devil.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    Commented Apr 5, 2020 at 13:00
0

Another suggestion: Roman history is often colourful and entertaining, and it covers more than a millennium in fields ranging from political and military to architectural and economic. A knowledge of Latin makes this accessible, e.g. the pleasure of reading the gossip of Suetonius or the polished phrasing of Tacitus.

An area of Latin which is often overlooked is mediaeval culture. A fun place to start is Helen Waddell's The Wandering Scholars.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.