Exam results are in!

[Betrisher]

Woohoo! I got a Distinction in Latin 404!

The exam was an absolute *pig* and I really doubted whether I could pass. But I *did* pass and with a nice, comfortable margin.

Walkin' on sunshine this evening.

 

[PrimorandMoxi]

ongratulations-cay o-tay ou-yay
its-way a-way ery-vay ifficult-day anguage-lay o-tay aster-may o-say I-way used-way an-way online-way onverter-cay.

 

[Kiwibird]

Congrats to you! I took 2 years of Latin in high school and remember how difficult of a language it was to learn. I can still recall a few random words plus the full US Pledge of Allegiance (in Latin). I took another 2 years of French and only remember slightly more. Never was gifted with language. What do you plan to do with Latin or was it just to fulfill credits towards something else?

 

[Allee]

Yayyyy Trish! Congratulations! I’m not at all surprised to hear you aced the test but I’m thrilled for you!

 

[Flboy]

Um, pig Latin?

 

[SailBoat]

Um, pig Latin?

"pig Latin" David, that made my day!!!
I was thinking of some statement wise in its depth, but humor wins!

Congratulations, Trish! Top a couple off and dust them quickly!

 

[Betrisher]

Thank you, everyone!

I became interested in Latin when I first learned that Latin names are used to classify living things. I think I was about four at the time. My first degree was in Botany and Zoology and, yes, Latin is certainly used all the time in both disciplines. I kept telling myself I would pick up Latin one day. Then, Life happened and I forgot to.

Roll on mumbledy-mumble years (nearly sixty, in fact) and I was whinging to my best friend on the phone, saying 'I always meant to do Latin and now it's too late'. After laughing for fully five minutes, he scoffed at me and said 'You're not dead yet! I'm enrolling you in first year Latin right *now*!' (He works in enrolments at the University I attend).

That was four years ago. And here I am! It's been *so* much fun, learning the words and the history of Rome and reading the ancient authors (some of whom are *very* bawdy and *very* funny). The eldest member in our class is eighty-one and a retired solicitor ('lawyer' for my US friends) and the youngest is twenty and has just changed her major from History to Classical Languages. We're all going on to start first year Greek together next year.

I wouldn't say the learning of Latin is *hard*, it's just kind of... convoluted... It certainly teaches you to think logically and to follow patterns of meaning. I have a silly kind of remembery which takes to learning lists of words, so that part came easily. For the rest, it's all about being interested to read what the authors have to say. Caesar's descriptions of his goings-on in Gaul were better than Indiana Jones or Assassin's Creed by *far*! Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' (essentially fairytales) were so clever and well-told we were sorry to finish them. Martial's Epigrams were totally off the wall and often so rude we had difficulty translating them to each other (the words were - well - quite hard to say out loud in public).

So yeah. I've been having a ball and should have done this years ago.

 

[Scott]

Congratulations Trish, a stunning achievement!!

 

[Ellie777Australia]

Um, pig Latin?

Dudonuntut bube suso susilullulyum dudavuvidud! Now that's pig Latin David LOL . And it is actually a 'language'!

 

[Ellie777Australia]

Excellent achievement Trish....another one under your belt! Kudos.