Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #264472 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

Customer Reviews

First Thousand Mistakes in Latin
My experience with this book brings to mind a famous Latin proverb: Caveat Emptor ("Buyer beware.")

At first glance this book is a promising learning tool for Latin students, it is packaged colorfully with beautiful pictures. But this book is very little more than a bunch of colorful pictures. I found at least an error per page, some so egregious that it seemed like a first year Latin student put this work together. I would not recommend this book to anyone!

I would like to illustrate some of the problems found in this book. It would be impossible to list all the mistakes here (I found more than 90(!!) in the entire book.) However, by citing particular mistakes I hope to give a prospective buyer a good synopsis before he makes a decision about this illustrated book of gibberish.

1) On the first page which includes Latin words (p.4) "tapetum" is written under the picture of a carpet or rug; but the word for rug/carpet in Latin is "tapete". This is one example of many where a general ignorance of Latin is made manifest. The author probably knew that the word was of neuter gender, and perhaps even that the plural is sometimes "tapeta", but failed to identify the correct singular form.

2) On p.12 under the picture of a cafe, the word "caffeum" is written, which is obviously a neologism or a recently coined Latin word since it has its root in the word for 'coffee'. There is no need to introduce such a word, since Latin has a term for a bar or cafe where hot drinks are served, "thermopolium". This is an example, one of many, where the author chose to use unnecessary neologisms.

3) On the same page under a picture of a Bulldozer appears "machina ad fodiendum", which simply means "a machine for digging". Not only does a bulldozer generally not dig, but modern Latin speakers do not use this term, but rather "currus propulsorius", which means "a chariot/vehicle for pushing stuff forward". In this example the author attempts to use a circumlocution, but misses the mark completely.

4) On the same page under a picture for a woman appears the word for woman (femina), but under the corresponding picture of a man appears the word for human (homo).

5) On p. 13 the author again attempts a circumlocution with "machina ad vias levigandas" which means "a machine for making roads smooth". This is a good description of the item illustrated; unfortunately Romans had a machine just like it, called "cylindrus". Someone did not do his research.

6) On p.28 under the picture of a female teacher (magistra) appears the word for a male teacher ("magister").

7) Legumes in Latin do not have a plural form, nevertheless on p.34 there appears the erroneous plural form "pisa".

8) Under the picture of yogurt on p.35 appears the phrase 'spoiled milk' ("lac fermentatum"). There exist three acceptable ways to express yogurt in Latin, thanl goodness 'spoiled milk' is not one of them. (The three ways being: iogurtum / oxygala / melca)

9) Under the picture of jam or jelly, appears "quilon" which means the jelly of the human eye. I would not want that smeared on my toast!

10) The number twenty (20) is misspelled in the Latin. ("Viginte" for "viginti".) This is an example of the many typos included.

There are many more errors; I have selected a small number here which are both serious and easy to understand for people with fairly no knowledge of Latin. I have written a complete list of errata, sent it to the publisher, who neither thanked me nor showed any interest in the matter. I requested a refund for the price of the book; my request was denied.

A good start, but needs some work
First, I'd love to say this book was perfect---and it could be, in a future printing. But, alas, for now, it contains far too many errors. It is rather apparent that a hurried (and poorly researched) set of translations were simply slapped onto Usborne's stock set of First-1000-Words illustrations. The illustrations are wonderful, but the Latin often leaves me scratching my head.

One example is, in an illustration showing the opposites "dirty" and "clean", the Latin words chosen don't mean dirty and clean---they mean "morally filthy" and "holy, chaste, or upright". I'm wondering why the soccer player with the clean shirt is holier than the other guy.

Ideally, Usborne could get a competent Latinist more involved in a revised effort. For now, I'll have to carefully correct the errors myself. And so I'm hesitant to recommend this book to someone who isn't already familiar with the words it contains (which makes it somewhat pointless!)

Great Latin fun for the little ones
If you have ever sat on your couch with you children looking for the thimble or rabbit in an I Spy book, this is the same kind of fun you can have with this book but in Latin. The book is in a large format with vividly colored and engaging cartoon drawings just like the one on the cover. As the cover illustration also shows, around the margins of the picture are the individual drawings of the objects in the main illlustration with the Latin word beneath. There are many locations illustrated, e.g. a doctor's office, grocery store, an amusement park, etc. each covering a double page spread. There are also pages in the back with illustrations of actions, emotions, opposites, weather, colors, numbers and more. This could be the start of an excellent Latin vocabulary. Many first year Latin classes only aim for a vocabulary of 500 to 700 words. For those who are interested in speaking Latin, there are many vocabulary words (like toothpaste) that will help you know how to tell your little Latinistas, "Agedum, abi et in balneum dentes purga pasta dentaria." [Get going, go the bathroom and brush your teeth with toothpaste.] With some knowledge of Latin, one can spend many fun hours playing Invenio or I Spy. There is even a little anaticula flava or yellow duck hidden on each page. Use your imagination. Play "Ubi est/Ibi est" or "Where is x/There is x". Have fun.