Familia Resources
Latin 1B
Familia Study Guide
Familia Vocabulary and Derivatives
It is recommended that you make notecards for new vocabulary.
Roman Numerals
Cardinal numbers
1, 2, 3 and 1000 Decline
Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers Decline
Adjective Agreement
How to find the correct adjective to agree with a noun...
Numbers in Rome
MILES
To express a distance in miles in Latin, the Romans used a combination of terms: the number 1000 (mille; milia) and the noun passus . In Latin, the 4th declension noun passus, passus, m. means a pace. In Roman times, one passus was actually a double step (step with left foot + right foot = one pace), and that double step was measured at 5 feet. Thus you have the Latin expression: MILLE PASSUS
Mille passus = 1000 paces = 5000 feet (1000 x 5 ft/pace) = 1 mile. This is quite close to the modern American mile, which is 5280 feet.
For more than one mile, the expression changes slightly. Instead of using the adjective mille (1000), the plural noun form milia (thousands) is used with the genitive plural of the noun pace (passuum - remember, we have not learned 4th declension, so that -uum gen pl ending should be unfamiliar!): milia passuum = thousands of paces = miles. To complete the expression, a cardinal number is placed before milia:
How would you ask a Roman how old they are? To a male, you would ask, Quot annos natus es? To a female, the question becomes: Quot annos nata es? Literally: For how many years have you been born?, which is the equivalent of asking "How old are you?"
To respond to the question a Roman man might say, Viginti annos natus sum: Literally, "I have been born for twenty years," but we would translate "I am 20 years old.". A Roman woman would say, Viginiti annos nata sum, I have been born twenty years, but again, we would translate, "I am 20 years old."
We use natus es/natus sum for a male and we use nata es/nata sum for a female. Notice the masculine ending -us on natus and the feminine ending -a on nata. This is another example of how important the correct use of gender was to the Romans.
Help for Familia Numbers Pronunciation Quiz
Remember that 1, 2, and 3 decline and must agree in gender, number and case with the noun.
Irregular Adjectives
How are irregular adjectives different?
Sight reading passage- Part 1
It is very important to practice reading and understanding Latin sentences. Below you will find a sight reading passage. Read each sentence aloud and listen to the recitation. Be sure to look for ideas in the passage as you read: see if you can get a general sense of the story just from reading out loud. Pay careful attention to each adjective in the sentences. What noun does the adjective modify? Then practice translating each sentence into English. Rollover the blue words for helpful clues. As you encounter new vocabulary words in the story, think about English cognates and context within the sentences to help you decipher the meaning. Once you have read through the story, please use the Familia Sight Passage Reading Guide, found in the Hand Outs sidebar, to take a closer look at the passage. The Reading Guide contains several vocabulary and grammar notes to help you understand what you are reading more clearly. Finally, download and complete the Familia Sight Passage Workfile. The reading guide and sight passage workfile will help prepare you for the module test. Does Decimus have an enemy in the Imperial household?
Sight reading passage - Part 2
More Practice is available!
Familia Family Tree Project
Part 1 and 2: Read and translate the Imperial Family Tree.
Part 3: Make your own family tree.
Familia Checklist
- Complete the Familia Study Guide
- Study Familia Vocabulary
- Learn Roman numerals
- Learn cardinal and ordinal number
- Learn adjective agreement as it relates to numbers
- Learn about miles and age
- Learn about the roles of a family in ancient Rome
- Complete the Familia Dictionary and Derivatives Daily Grade
- Post and respond to 2 peers in the Familia Roman numerals Discussion board
- Complete the Familia Numbers Pronunciation Quiz
- Read sight passages Familia part 1 and 3
- Complete the Familia Family Tree Project
- Complete the Familia Test