Copyright: Lingua Latina 4.1, ®1994, R. Hasenfratz


Contents
Lingua Latina Help

Getting Started

Registering Lingua Latina

Declensions

Conjugations

Pronouns

Quiz

Options


Noun Declensions
Declensions (Noun Endings)

Latin nouns generally have six cases, each with their own ending.  To put the matter simply, a case ending gives information on how a noun functions in the sentence.  If in the NOMINATIVE case (abbreviated with an "N"), a noun forms the subject, if GENITIVE (G), a possessive, if DATIVE (D), an indirect object or object of a preposition, if ACCUSATIVE (A), a direct object or object of a preposition, if ABLATIVE (Ab), an indication of separation, location, or agency, if VOCATIVE (not included), a direct address (as in Oh, Caesar!).  Consult a Latin grammar for more extensive information on cases and their functions. See also the section on Choosing a Declension.

Layout and Function of Test Menus

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Verb Conjugations
Conjugations (Verb Endings)

A conjugation, simply put, is a collection of verb endings. Latin uses these verb endings to convey subtle variations of time and duration where English and a number of modern languages tend to use helping verbs. Consult a Latin grammar for the definition and function of these tenses.

The top of the menu displays the current tense along with the verb undergoing conjugation.  Below that (in light blue) is an approximate translation of the verb form into English or German, depending on the language which you've selected in the Options section.

The six slots on the conjugation form correspond to three persons (in both the singular and plural): first (I, We), second (you, you all), and third (he, she, it, and they).  Note the abbreviations for first, second, and third person running along the left margin of the screen, while abbreviations for the singular and plural appear at the top of each box.

For more information on conjugations--particularly which ones to learn first--see the section on Choosing a Conjugation.

Layout and Function of Test Menus

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Pronouns

Pronouns, in general, take the place of nouns and thus have cases as nouns do: nominative (N) when it's the subject, genitive (G) when it's possessive, dative (D) when it's the indirect object or object of a preposition, accusative (A) when it's the direct object, or ablative (Ab) when it shows separation, location, or means.  Besides case, each set of pronouns has variations for three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter) and number (singular and plural).

Lingua Latina includes personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, etc.), relative pronouns (who, which), and demonstrative pronouns (this, that).  Consult a Latin grammar for  fuller explanations.

Layout and Function of Test Menus

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Options

§ Show Vowel Length

When checked, this option requires that you indicate long vowels by typing a colon (:) after the vowel in question.  Vowel length is important for learning scansion as well as for telling certain forms apart (for example the nominative and ablative forms of first declension nouns: puella (nom.) and puella: (abl.).

§ Sound Effects

If the Sound Effects option is on, and if you have an appropriate sound card, the program makes a cheerful noise when you get an answer right and a slightly annoying one when wrong.  Also included are opening and closing sounds which have a tangential relation to Latin grammar.

§ Set Delay Interval...

Allows you to control the pauses between answers.  If you have a particularly slow machine, you may want to set the delay interval at a low level, while those lucky enough to have a fast machine will want to set it higher.

§ Language...

This option sets the language in which all prompts, buttons, and translations appear.  So far, only English, German, and Latin are supported, but future releases will add more languages.  If you would like to see a specific language supported and would be willing to offer some assistance, please contact the author.

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Getting Started

Lingua Latina IV.i  will drill you in the basics of Latin grammar. Ideally, you should use it along with a basic introductory grammar since the program does not provide extensive explanations of grammatical forms or their functions.

Click a Button and Begin

From the main menu, click on the button corresponding to one of the following choices:

Declensions

Conjugations

Pronouns

Layout and Function of Test Menus


Test Menus
Layout and Function of Test Menus

Each test menu differs slightly from the rest: the declension form has ten slots (for five cases in the singular and plural), while the conjugation form has six (for the first, second, and third persons in the singular and plural), and the pronoun form has fifteen slots (for the five cases in three genders).

How to Proceed

After entering one of the test menus, simply proceed to fill in the blanks with the right answers. Look at the top of the box for the base form (these change each time!).  NOTE: You will not need to use the mouse to proceed from slot to slot.  When you've finished  an answer, simply hit ENTER and the program will pass you to the next slot (if you've got the answer right).  Each test menu has labels for person, number, case, or gender where appropriate.

If you don't know the proper response, click on the question mark icon:

or type a ? to see the correct answer briefly.

Notes

THE PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS is displayed in yellow in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

If you wish to quit before finishing, click on the QUIT button.

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Choosing a Conjugation

Latin has four major conjugations, each of which is represented here, along with the irregular verbs "esse" (to be) and "velle" (wish, will, desire). If you select any of these, Lingua Latina will run you through all 21 tenses for the conjugation you choose.

A PARTICULAR TENSE OR MOOD

If you'd like to concentrate on a particular tense (recommended for beginning users), then select "A PARTICULAR TENSE OR MOOD."  With this option, Lingua Latina will display a list of the possible tenses.  When you choose one (present indicative, let's say) the program will run you through only that tense in ALL FOUR regular conjugations and then return you to the menu of tenses.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Beginning students should consult their Latin grammar books in deciding which conjugations to learn and in what sequence.  However, common sense suggests that novices select A PARTICULAR TENSE OR MOOD and learn the "present indicative" first. After that, they should turn to the imperfect, perfect, and future indicatives, moving on to the passives (again starting with the present and then moving on to the imperfect, perfect, and future.) Some of the tenses listed in Lingua Latina occur very rarely: passive pluperfect subjunctive, for example.

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Choosing a Declension

Some declensions occur more frequently than others.  In general, the student should learn them in order since this roughly corresponds to the order of frequency.  Consult a Latin grammar for an explanation of the peculiarities of each declension.

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Quiz

A new feature in Lingua Latina IV.i, the quiz section remains somewhat limited.  In its current state, it presents you with a verb form, selected at random, and asks you to identify the conjugation, tense, number, and person of the form.   As you change the default values your current answer appears in the large box above the pedestal.

 If you don't know the right answer, click on the question icon  or type a ?.  When you request the right answer, the answer box turns green and displays the correct answer briefly.  To proceed, enter the correct answer and click on the OK button.


Shareware Information
Registering Lingua Latina

With version 4.1, Lingua Latina is, unfortunately, no longer a freeware program.  If after a trial period of two weeks, you continue to use the program, you are obligated to send US$10.00 (by check or money order) to:

Bob Hasenfratz

English Department

Box U-25

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT   06269;   USA

(203) 486-2141

Institutional site licenses for five machines or more are $25.00.  Struggling students need not register!

In return for the shareware fee, you will receive a) a password which will turn off the "Register Me!" message, b) future product upgrades, and c) an opportunity to make suggestions for improving or expanding the program.  Support the Shareware concept!