| 009. Medieval Latin is Bothersome |
[22 Sep 1976|02:02am] |
Reading the letters of Abelard and Heloise in the original language seemed like such a good idea when I started, but the more I read, the more I feel like I've forgotten all the Latin I know. Medieval Latin is immensely confusing. All of the grammar rules are different from the rules of Classical Latin, and the vocabulary is often very different, too. It begs the question, if scholars in the middle ages wanted to use Latin so badly, why didn't they just use existing grammatical structures and concepts instead of making up their own? It's almost infuriating.
I suppose I'll probably give in and crack open a good English translation. If anyone is particularly keen on reading a collection of really excellent old letters, I would have to strongly recommend them. Many consider them the real life Romeo and Juliet of their generation, though their story and its outcome are more than a little bit different. That, and Romeo and Juliet never contained an excellent French philosopher or his well-educated student, with whom he falls madly in love in spite of her uncle's protestations and attempts to separate them. In any case, it has been an interesting change from my usual fare, but I have been attempting to avoid Pride and- branch out about in the sort of things I choose to read.
Either way, I may have to put that reading on hold for a bit in favor of schoolwork. I can't remember the last time I had this much unfinished Potions homework, and I am not looking forward to amending the situation. It could always be worse, though. Somehow.
Yours,
Remus J. Lupin
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