Product Description

Earn–lay atin–Lay? No, not that kind of Latin! You can learn true Latin, with conjugations, declensions, and all those extra syllables – and it’s easier than you think. In fact, most people mistakenly think of learning Latin as perhaps the most useless, tedious, and difficult thing to do on earth. They couldn’t be more wrong.

Latin For Dummies takes you back for a quick jaunt through the parlance of ancient Rome, as well as discussing the progress of Latin into church language, and its status today as the “dead” language that lives on in English, Spanish, Italian, and most other Western tongues. Written for those with zero prior knowledge of Latin, this snappy guide puts the basics at your fingertips and steers clear of the arcane, schoolmarm stereotype of endless declensions and Herculean translations. Easy–to–understand sections describe:

• Latin you already know
• Grammar
• Pronunciation
• Latin in action
• Latin in law
• Latin in medicine
• Latin for impressing your friends
• And much more

No dusty tome or other such artifact, Latin For Dummies makes learning fun and brings the language to life by presenting conversations in various Roman settings, as well as providing fun facts and stories about classical life. And if you feel you may actually have a negative aptitude for the language, don’t worry; pronunciations and translations follow every expression, and a helpful mini–dictionary graces the book’s last pages. You’ll also find out about:

• The quotable Roman
• Latin graffiti
• Latin authors who’s who
• Gladiator Latin
• Latin in love, marriage, and family
• From the mouth of Julius Caesar
• Romans on drink
• Helpful Latin–related Web sites
• Fun and games exercises

Designed to introduce and familiarize you with the language rather than make you the next Cicero, Latin For Dummies gives you all the tools you need to work at your own pace to learn as much or as little as you like. So noli timere (no–lee tih–may–reh) – “have no fear” – and carpe diem (“pick up Latin For Dummies today”)!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13403 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Synopsis
Earn-lay atin-Lay? No, not that kind of Latin! You can learn true Latin, with conjugations, declensions, and all those extra syllables -- and it's easier than you think. In fact, most people mistakenly think of learning Latin as perhaps the most useless, tedious, and difficult thing to do on earth. They couldn't be more wrong. Latin For Dummies takes you back for a quick jaunt through the parlance of ancient Rome, as well as discussing the progress of Latin into church language, and its status today as the "dead" language that lives on in English, Spanish, Italian, and most other Western tongues. Written for those with zero prior knowledge of Latin, this snappy guide puts the basics at your fingertips and steers clear of the arcane, schoolmarm stereotype of endless declensions and Herculean translations.

Easy-to-understand sections describe: * Latin you already know * Grammar * Pronunciation * Latin in action * Latin in law * Latin in medicine * Latin for impressing your friends * And much more No dusty tome or other such artifact, Latin For Dummies makes learning fun and brings the language to life by presenting conversations in various Roman settings, as well as providing fun facts and stories about classical life. And if you feel you may actually have a negative aptitude for the language, don't worry; pronunciations and translations follow every expression, and a helpful mini-dictionary graces the book's last pages. You'll also find out about: * The quotable Roman * Latin graffiti * Latin authors who's who * Gladiator Latin * Latin in love, marriage, and family * From the mouth of Julius Caesar * Romans on drink * Helpful Latin-related Web sites * Fun and games exercises Designed to introduce and familiarize you with the language rather than make you the next Cicero, Latin For Dummies gives you all the tools you need to work at your own pace to learn as much or as little as you like.

So noli timere (no-lee tih-may-reh) -- "have no fear" -- and carpe diem ("pick up Latin For Dummies today")!

From the Back Cover
Packed with tons of examples and sample dialogues

Make sense of Latin in no time!

Noli timere! (no–lee tih–may–reh) As the Romans would say, "Have no fear!" You’ll be reading and speaking Latin in a flash with this friendly guide, which covers all Latin language essentials, including grammar, usage, and vocabulary. You’ll even see how to use Latin in modern situations, from the law to medicine to impressing your friends at cocktail parties.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear–out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Get smart! @www.dummies.com

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About the Author
Clifford A. Hull has taught Latin, Greek, medical terminology, and classical mythology.

Steven R. Perkins has taught Latin for a decade.

Tracy Barr has served as an editor, editorial manager, writer, and consultant on For Dummies books.

Customer Reviews

latin for dummies
this must be the most useless language book ever written. By chapter 6 you are learning the subjenctive. You have for each chapter just for little questions to answer. A complete waste of money,

Makes you happy you got it all day long....
Latin for dummies, simply put, is excellent! Initially I bought the book to learn a bit of Latin in order to help improve my Italian and French. Quickly after starting to read the book though, I found out the book does not merely teach you Latin; it does so much more! That is to say, not only does it reach the reader in a simple, straightforward very fun method, but it also has great background information about ancient Rome...etc. Plus it can be extremely funny at times, giving jokes and extremely funny conversations between Roman citizens. Oh don't get me wrong, I don't mean to say this book is a book revolving around silly humor- it's just that it uses humor as an effective way to implant new words and information you need to know into your memory.

All in all, I would advise anyone interested in learning basic Latin, fun historical facts and quotes, and having a lot of fun to buy this book without hesitation. Trust me you'll love it.

A final note however. If you intend on chatting fluently with "Caesar" or one of his pals in Latin, you'll need to go further than this book. It's a great start, and definitely a start on the right path. For much more advanced, and more technical stuff, see Wheelocks Latin... (Haven't read that by the way, just telling you I've read.)