seeking Latin self-teaching book

[A. Maberry]

These are very good suggestions. I would add Wheelock's "Latin : an
introductory course". I used it many years ago in a course where we
basically got through most all of the grammar in one year. As I recall it
was quite good, and I think it is still in print. If not, there are
probably thousands of used copies available.

allen
maberry at u.washington.edu

On Tue, 27 Nov 2001 pskuhlman at JUNO.COM wrote:

>         One possibility is "Latin for Reading" by Knudsvig & Craig,
> University of Michigan Press.  Order both textbook and teacher's manual.
> It is a college level text.  The authors have thought through very
> clearly the process of learning to approach a Latin sentence and make
> sense of it.  Obviously learning Latin is a lot easier if you know what
> grammatical terms such as indirect question and sequence of tenses are in
> English, but this text certainly does not assume familiarity with them.
>         The best beginner's Latin grammar I know is "Latin Grammar" by
> Robert J. Henle, S.J., Loyola University Press.  A good advanced grammar
> "Gildersleeve's Latin Grammar" by Gildersleeve & Lodge.
>         If you are serious about learning Latin, invest in a good
> dictionary up front.  The Oxford Latin Dictionary is very good and has a
> clear format, but is limited to ancient Latin.  Lewis and Short's "A
> Latin Dictionary" also published by Oxford is more useful to the reader
> interested in both ancient and later Latin.  Both are lexicons with
> citations from Latin authors.
>         I recommend Cicero's letters to his friends (Epistulae ad
> familiares, Epistulae ad Atticum)as the very best way to get a sense of
> the language as it must have been spoken.  Shackleton Bailey did some
> wonderful translations (out of print?) of these letters which are perfect
> for reading after you've worked on reading a letter yourself.  If you
> can't locate these translations, the Loeb facing page translations are
> okay. If you can get a hold of Erasmus's "Colloquia Familiaria", these
> are great fun and a good way to get Latin in your "ear".  (Mine is a
> photocopy made from a borrowed book while I was living in Rome.)  How
> else will you learn how twelve examples of "blandior salutatio inter
> amantes"?
>         Please feel free to have your correspondent contact me with any
> questions.
>
> Patricia Kuhlman
> Brooklyn, NY
> pskuhlman at juno.com
>
> On Tue, 27 Nov 2001 11:59:02 -0500 Mark.Mandel at LHSL.COM writes:
> > A correspondent says:
> >
> > >>>
> > I have been enjoying the Latin stuff so much I am thinking about
> > taking a
> > class in it if I can find one.
> > Do you know of a good self teach Latin primer if I don't find a
> > place to
> > take it as a class?
> > <<<
> >
> > Any advice?
> >
> > -- Mark, now 53 years old and the joker is weird!
> >
>