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DICTIONARY OF LATIN SYNONYMES,

FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE STUDENTS,

WITH A COMPLETE INDEX.

By lewis RAMSHORN.

FROM THE GERMAN,

By FRANCIS LIEBER.


BOSTON,

CHARLES C. LITTLE AND JAMES BROWN. 1841.....


.....PREFACE OF THE TRANSLATOR.

-The author of the present work published, a few
years ago, a book, the whole title of which I will
here give in translation, because it indicates some of
its important features. It is, " Latin Synonymics,
upon the Basis of Gardin-Dumesnil's Synonymes La-
tins, recast and augmented, by L. Ramshorn ; as a
new Edition of the Universal Latin Synonymes of
Ernesti." ,The names of Ernesti and Gardin-Dumes-
nil, the latter whom published the first edition of his
Synonymes in 1777, are well known to all acquaint-
ed with the modern history of philology. Upon the
works of these two scholars, then. Dr. Ramshorn, a
distinguished philologer and practical teacher in Ger-
many, has built his own, adding from the rich treas-
ures of the science of languages, so abundant in
his country. Comparative philology and etymologic
knowledge, now zealously and successfully cultivated
in Germany, form a science which exhibits to us
order, organic connexion, depth of meaning, and pro-
gressive developement, where before disorder, dis-
jointedness, caprice, or a barbarous want of perception
seemed to exist, in so great and vast a sphere, embrac-

ing many tribes and generations, that the scholar who
enters deeper and deeper into this comprehensive
system, extending over Asia and Europe, ancient and
modern, feels as we may imagine one to feel, who
beholds the firmament for the first time after being
informed, that all its glittering hosts move in order,
and according to the wisest principles. Neither the
present cultivation of this branch of philologic knowl-
edge, nor that of any other, appertaining to the study
of antiquity, has been without its due influence in
the composition of the abovementioned work, which
makes it, in my opinion, a production of singular
merit. My friends agreed with me, that an abridg-
ment, adapted to our schools and colleges, would sup-
ply a want which has long been felt by those who
instruct in Latin. So soon, therefore, as I became ac-
quainted with the fact, that Dr. Ramshorn himself had
prepared a " school edition " of his work, I resolved
to translate it into English. I have done so, and feel
convinced, provided I have performed my task with
any degree of success, that few works can be offered
to all who study or promote the study of antiquity,
more welcome than this. Had I not felt convinced
of this fact, I should not have undertaken it ; for
translating is an irksome occupation, and I will
frankly own, that, occupied as my mind was, at the
same time, with labors far more congenial, I was
once well nigh giving up my purpose. I remembered,
however, what Cicero says of Brutus : "Quidquid
vult, valde vult;" and resolved, in my limited sphere,
not to remain behind the Roman.....

Differences between Medieval and Classical Latin

Welcome

The Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources (DMLBS) is a British Academy research project at the University of Oxford.

Based entirely on original research, the DMLBS is the most comprehensive dictionary of Medieval Latin to have been produced and the first ever to focus on British Medieval Latin.

Completed in print in 2013, the DMLBS is a definitive survey of the vocabulary of one of the most important languages in British and European history.

Thomas Jefferson wrote:LETTER CXXVIII.—TO JOHN ADAMS, August 10,1815

TO JOHN ADAMS.

Monticello, August 10,1815.

Dear Sir,

The simultaneous movements in our correspondence have been remarkable on several occasions. It would seem as if the state of the air, or state of the times, or some other unknown cause, produced a sympathetic effect on our mutual recollections. I had sat down to answer your letters of June the 19th, 20th, and 22nds with pen, ink, and paper, before me, when I received from our mail that of July the 30th. You ask information on the subject of Camus. All I recollect of him is, that he was one of the deputies sent to arrest Dumourier at the head of his army, who were, however, themselves arrested by Dumourier, and long detained as prisoners. I presume, therefore, he was a Jacobin. You will find his character in the most excellent revolutionary history of Toulongeon. I believe also, he may be the same person who has given us a translation of Aristotle’s Natural History, from the Greek into French. Of his report to the National Institute on the subject of the Bollandists, your letter gives me the first information. I had supposed them defunct with the society of Jesuits, of which they were: and that their works, although above ground, were, from their bulk and insignificance, as effectually entombed on their shelves, as if in the graves of their authors. Fifty-two volumes in folio, of the acta sanctorum, in dog-Latin, would be a formidable enterprise to the most laborious German. I expect, with you, they are the most enormous mass of lies, frauds, hypocrisy, and imposture, that ever was heaped together on this globe. By what chemical process M. Camus supposed that an extract of truth could be obtained from such a farrago of falsehood, I must leave to the chemists and moralists of the age to divine.

On the subject of the history of the American Revolution you ask who shall write it? Who can write it? And who will ever be able to write it? Nobody; except merely its external facts; all its councils, designs, and discussions having been conducted by Congress with closed doors, and no member, as far as I know, having even made notes of them. These, which are the life and soul of history, must for ever be unknown. Botta, as you observe, has put his own speculations and reasonings into the mouths of persons whom he names, but who, you and I know, never made such speeches. In this he has followed the example of the ancients, who made their great men deliver long speeches, all of them in the same style, and in that of the author himself. The work is nevertheless a good one, more judicious, more chaste, more classical, and more true, than the party diatribe of Marshall. Its greatest fault is in having taken too much from him. I possessed the work, and often recurred to considerable portions of it, although I never read it through. But a very judicious and well informed neighbor of mine went through it with great attention, and spoke very highly of it. I have said that no member of the old Congress, as far as I knew, made notes of the discussions. I did not knew of the speeches you mention of Dickinson and Witherspoon But on the questions of Independence, and on the two articles of Confederation respecting taxes and voting, I took minutes of the heads of the arguments. On the first, I threw all into one mass, without ascribing to the speakers their respective arguments; pretty much in the manner of Hume’s summary digests of the reasonings in parliament for and against a measure. On the last, I stated the heads of arguments used by each speaker. But the whole of my notes on the question of Independence does not occupy more than five pages, such as of this letter: and on the other questions, two such sheets. They have never been communicated to any one. Do you know that there exists in manuscript the ablest work of this kind ever yet executed, of the debates of the constitutional convention of Philadelphia in 1788? The whole of every thing said and done there was taken down by Mr. Madison, with a labor and exactness beyond comprehension.

I presume that our correspondence has been observed at the post-offices, and thus has attracted notice. Would you believe, that a printer has had the effrontery to propose to me the letting him publish it? These people think they have a right to every thing, however secret or sacred. I had not before heard of the Boston pamphlet with Priestley’s Letters and mine.

At length Bonaparte has got on the right side of a question. From the time of his entering the legislative hall to his retreat to Elba, no man has execrated him more than myself. I will not except even the members of the Essex Junto; although for very different reasons; I, because he was warring against the liberty of his own country, and independence of others; they, because he was the enemy of England, the Pope, and the Inquisition. But at length, and as far as we can judge, he seems to have become the choice of his nation. At least, he is defending the cause of his nation, and that of all mankind, the rights of every people to independence and self-government. He and the allies have now changed sides. They are parcelling out among themselves Poland, Belgium, Saxony, Italy, dictating a ruler and government to France, and looking askance at our republic, the splendid libel on their governments, and he is fighting for the principles of national independence, of which his whole life hitherto has been a continued violation. He has promised a free government to his own country, and to respect the rights of others; and although his former conduct inspires little confidence in his promises, yet we had better take the chance of his word for doing right, than the certainty of the wrong which his adversaries are doing and avowing. If they succeed, ours is only the boon of the Cyclops to Ulysses, of being the last devoured.

Present me affectionately and respectfully to Mrs. Adams, and Heaven give you both as much more of life as you wish, and bless it with health and happiness.

Th: Jefferson.

P. S. August the 11th. I had finished my letter yesterday, and this morning receive the news of Bonaparte’s second abdication. Very well. For him personally, I have no feeling but reprobation. The representatives of the nation have deposed him. They have taken the allies at their word, that they had no object in the war but his removal. The nation is now free to give itself a good government, either with or without a Bourbon; and France unsubdued, will still be a bridle on the enterprises of the combined powers, and a bulwark to others. T.J.

The history of Acta Sanctorum is part of the history of the Bollandists themselves.  With the first volume published in 1643 and the latest in 1940 (the work remains incomplete) this is one of the longest, and greatest, scientific and editorial enterprises of all times.

The vagaries of history (wars, revolutions, and even the suppression of the Society of Jesus) have made it practically impossible to find a complete original edition of the Acta Sanctorum (67 volumes in-folio) for sale.

True, a private publisher did reprint the Acta at Venice between 1734 and 1760 – in part – and the Parisian editor Palmé brought out a new edition between 1863 and 1870 – also incomplete, and not without certain defects (see Synopsis of the three editions of Acta Sanctorum )

A reprint of the first 60 volumes of the original edition was published from 1966 to 1971.  Although the complete collection is not available any longer, some volumes are still available from Brepols Publishers.  The general Indices for the months January to October, the Auctaria Octobris, the six volumes of November and the Propylaeum of December are still available from the Bollandists, either in the original edition or in reprint.

Single volumes of the editions published in Antwerp (original edition, since 1643), Venice (1734-1760) and Paris (1863-1870) are also available from the Bollandists.

The Acta Sanctorum Database is an electronic version of the complete printed text of Acta Sanctorum, from the edition published in sixty-eight volumes by the Societé des Bollandistes in Antwerp and Brussels. It is a collection of documents examining the lives of saints, organised according to each saint's feast day, and runs from the two January volumes published in 1643 to the Propylaeum to December published in 1940.

The Acta Sanctorum Database contains the complete Acta Sanctorum, including all prefatory material, original texts, critical apparatus and indices. Bibliotheca Hagiographica Latina reference numbers, essential references for scholars, are also included.

The Patrologia Latina Database is an electronic version of the first edition of Jacques-Paul Migne's Patrologia Latina, published between 1844 and 1855, and the four volumes of indexes published between 1862 and 1865. The Patrologia Latina comprises the works of the Church Fathers from Tertullian in 200 AD to the death of Pope Innocent III in 1216.

The Patrologia Latina Database contains the complete Patrologia Latina, including all prefatory material, original texts, critical apparatus and indexes. Migne's column numbers, essential references for scholars, are also included.

Pretended or mongrel Latin. An excellent example is Stevens’ definition of a kitchen:    1

       As the law classically expresses it, a kitchen is “camera necessaria pro usus cookare; cum saucepannis, stewpannis, scullero, dressero, coalholo, stovis, smoak-jacko; pro roastandum, boilandum, fryandum, et plum-pudding-mixandum… .”—A Law Report (Daniel v. Dishclout).

Dog Latin, or modern words with Latin endings. The law pleadings of G. Steevens, as Daniel v. Dishclout and Bullum v. Boatum, are excellent examples. (See DOG LATIN.)    1
   Macaron’ic Latin is a mixture of Latin and some modern language. In Italy macheroni is a mixture of coarse meal, eggs, and cheese.

Tom Friedman starts his NYT column today with this: "The American public has been treated to such a festival of mea, wea and hea culpas on Iraq lately it could be forgiven for feeling utterly lost."

In these latter days, that's about as good as we're going to get. For a glimpse of Dog-Latin as it once was, see Stevens' definition of a kitchen, from the entry for Dog-Latin in E. Cobham Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable:


As the law classically expresses it, a kitchen is "camera necessaria pro usus cookare; cum saucepannis, stewpannis, scullero, dressero, coalholo, stovis, smoak-jacko; pro roastandum, boilandum, fryandum, et plum-pudding-mixandum ..." A Law Report (Daniel v. Dishclout).

[Update: John Kozak emails:


The UK satirical magazine "Private Eye" has a running Dog Latin feature called "That Honorary Degree Citation In Full". Not online, sadly (as far as I know), but here's the current issue's offering:


SALUTAMUS BEII GEII TRES FRATRI CANTORES IN VOCE FALSETTO NOMINE BARRIUS, ROBINUSQUE ET MAURICIUS EHEU NUNC MORTUUS (QUONDAM UXOR 'LULU', DIVA CELEBRATISSIMA GLASWEGIENSIS CUM CARMINE POPULARE 'CLAMATE!') TRANSFORMAVERUNT MUNDUM MUSICAE DISOTECHNIS CUM JOHANNES TRAVOLTUS HOMO IN TUNICO BLANCO IN ARTEFACTO CINEMATICO 'FEBRUM NOCTIS SATURNALIS'.


John adds that


Now I come to think of it, more contemporary Dog Latin can be found in the spells in the Harry Potter books, of course (the Latin translation of HP&TPS leaves the spells "untranslated": they should be in mangled Greek, it seems to me).

]
Posted by Mark Liberman at May 30, 2004 04:18 PM

Pretended or mongrel Latin. An excellent example is Stevens' definition of a kitchen: As the law classically expresses it, a kitchen is

“camera necessaria pro usus cookare; cum saucepannis, stewpannis, scullero, dressero, coalholo, stovis, smoak-jacko; pro roastandum, boilandum, fryandum, et plum-pudding-mixandum ...”

A Law Report (Daniel v. Dishclout).

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894

ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC.

THERE having been several pirated editions
published of this Lecture, it is necessary to describe
their nature, and to explain the manner in which
they were obtained; from which the public will
judge, how much they have been imposed upon
by the different publishers.

When the Lecture was first exhibited, a very
paltry abridgment was published by a bookseller
in the city. This edition was so different from the
original delivered by Mr. Stevens, that he thought
it too contemptible to affect his interest, which
alone prevented him from commencing any legal
process against the publisher for thus trespassing
on his right and property.....