Latin grammar? Calling all schoolmasters..

[Barnowl]

On the bus towards work yesterday morning,  I overheard a mother (scary queue jumping type) telling her schoolboy son that if a Latin word ended in 'm' it was in the accusative and hence the object of the sentence. Why did no-one tell me that when I was trying to learn Latin 44 years ago? Possibly because it is wrong (e.g. bellum) BUT it might be true of adjectives - does anyone know? If so it could be useful (sort of).

[Barnowl]

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

To know what use could it be? true for adjectives accusative singular 1st and second declension, and for singular 3rd declension adjectives, but not with neuter. Amabo, amabis, amabit............

[Barnowl]

Thanks Rhubarb Thrasher. Plenty of exceptions then. Knew it was too good to be true. :)

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

if you catch them on the bus tomorrow, you will put the boot in I hope. i caught the end of a conversation on top of Glastonbury Tor once, where some hot-housing dad was saying to his son (about 10) - very good, now how do you say that in Japanese?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!

[BAK]

pidgin latin is much more interesting / entertaining, eg nil illegitimi carborundum est.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

Me transmitte sursum, caledoni beam me up, Scotty

[tim]

Our Squadron motto - In Omnibus Princeps = It's quicker by Bus.

[cleo]

I was never any use

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIAdHEwiAy8

[valmarg]

Wonderful cleo.

Another I like from the Carry On series is 'nulli expectori in omnibus (no spitting on the public transport).

valmarg

[honeybee]

Don't you just love a bit of ear wigging that then leaves you thinking? ;D

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

or when Sid James first sees Cleopatra in her bath of asses milk -

Sid James

[caroline7758]

Hate to be pedantic, but surely an adjective or a verb can't be the object of a sentence anyway! Guess who used to be a language teacher (not Latin, mind you- I've forgotten all that!)

[moonbells]

Me transmitte sursum, caledoni beam me up, Scotty

ROTFL

Let me think, 3rd declension singular endings, accusative -em (plural -es)
1st declension nominative -us (or irreg, eg puer) accusative -um
2nd declension nominative -a accusative -am
rest I can't remember.

I do still get annoyed at folk saying 'the data is flawed' when it ought to be 'data are' (datum is the singular, and is therefore the rule-breaker to the original comment, as it is nominative with -m). That and the prevalence of English plurals on Latin words eg stadium, stadiums (should be stadia) which is another nominative -m  ;D

moonbells

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

you can get yourself in trouble with this - someone on the News Quiz was showing off his public school education by saying that the plural of platypus was platypi, as in a 2nd declension latin noun, but it's from Greek, and the plural should be platypodes. The same goes for octopus, which also gives a silly result

[moonbells]

Oh I like it!

Stadium does have an interesting etymology: Latin stadium (natch) but also Greek stadion. The Romans got their measure of length from the Greek. But either way, both plurals are valid.

moonbells

[Flunky]

This thread reminds me of "life of brian" and the "romans go home" segment. V. Funny  ;D ;D

[Barnowl]

Caesar adsum jam forte, Julius aderat. Caesar sic in omnibus, Julius sic inat.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I like Psalm 126 Vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere - it's a waste of time you getting up early

very silly when Handel gave it the Hallelujah Chorus treatment