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Frivolitas?

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2003 6:30 pm
by Q. C. Locatus Barbatus
Salvete!

What I like the most about Latin are the little languages-games that writers tend to put in their texts. Let's gather some of them here:

Ennius (239-169BC) loved alliterations:

O Tite tute tati tibi tanta tyranne tulisti
"O Titus Tatius, tyran, this is what you have done to yourself"

At tuba terribili sonitu taratantara dixit
"But the trumpet produced fell sound"
You almost can here the trumpet in this sentence...

(both from his annales)


Does anyone know some more?


Valete,


Locatus

no-one

PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2003 6:58 pm
by Q. C. Locatus Barbatus
Salvete,


Nobody else? Strange. I will try to look up some others myself.

PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 2:24 pm
by Marcus Pomponius Lupus
Salve Locate,

One I always remembered is from Ovidius, he tells a tale of a group of farmers who keep gossiping about the princess of that region. As a punishment they are turned into frogs (Metamorphoses) and Ovidius describes the following:

"Quamvis sint sub aqua, sub aqua maledicere temptant"

"Though they are beneath water, beneath water they keep gossiping"

The beauty of course lies in the pronounciation of that sentence, which resembles the sound frogs make "aqua - aqua" - "kwaak kwaak" ;-)

Vale bene
Lupus

PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 3:29 pm
by Gnaeus Dionysius Draco
Salvete,

Ennius' use of sound is made fun of in Pfeiffer's overview of classical literature. It's like we would write: "seven savages ceaselessly sought severed strawberries." It produces a comical effect more than a serious one (and Ennius was not known for his humour).

Valete!
Draco

PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 3:29 pm
by Gnaeus Dionysius Draco
I might also add that Ennius thought he was Homer's reincarnation. At least he is reported to have dreamed he was Homer.

Draco