App | Imperium Word Tools

As long as we’re talking apps, one of interest was mentioned (by Rob Latousek) on Latinteach list these past few days. First up, Imperium Word Tools … here’s the incipit of the description:

Imperium Word Tools is a highly developed, modern system, designed to assist in understanding the Latin language. It offers a dictionary at the front end, which presents words and their dictionary entries in a conventional way. At this point the user can follow through to the second level, where each word is shown within its immediate system. In the case of non-inflected words, this is kept to a minimum, but in the case of nouns, adjectives and verbs, the whole system is shown. So, for example, a noun is shown with endings for all of its six cases, in the singular and plural. The exact form of the word as it appeared in the text is highlit in green, but this appears in each part of the table where it may be repeated, so the user can see all of the possible correct analyses for it. In the case of the word ‘servi’, for example, the word would appear in green three times, in the genitive singular, the nominative plural and the vocative plural. A set of texts is also presented, which explains the terms used in all of the possible analyses.

App | Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum

Bemoaning the fact that you are not likely going to be able to get to the much-hyped and much-praised Pompeii and Herculaneum exhibition at the British Museum?  Non ti preoccupare … there’s an app designed to accompany (and almost substitute for) the exhibition. Check it out:

Nuntii Latini, er, In the News

Besides the New York Times coverage (or perhaps because of it) we mentioned yesterday, Nuntii Latini (the YLE version) seems to be getting more attention. ABC Radio National, e.g., has an audio interview with one of the names behind YLE’s efforts, Tuomo Pekkanen:

Meanwhile, Rue89, riffs on the New York Times piece to suggest some other places on the interwebs where Latin news is thriving:

Classical Words of the Day

Latinitweets:

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem ix kalendas maias

ante diem ix kalendas maias

  • Vinalia (urbana) — the wine which was ‘bottled’ in the previous autumn was opened and tasted for the first time, after a libation to Jupiter
  • 248 A.D. — third day of celebration of Rome’s 1000th anniversary