Frivolitas?

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Frivolitas?

Postby Q. C. Locatus Barbatus on Sun May 25, 2003 6:30 pm

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,


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no-one

Postby Q. C. Locatus Barbatus on Wed Jun 04, 2003 6:58 pm

Salvete,


Nobody else? Strange. I will try to look up some others myself.
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Postby Marcus Pomponius Lupus on Sun Jun 15, 2003 2:24 pm

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
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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Sun Jun 15, 2003 3:29 pm

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!
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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Sun Jun 15, 2003 3:29 pm

I might also add that Ennius thought he was Homer's reincarnation. At least he is reported to have dreamed he was Homer.

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