Basics of Latin: A Grammar with Readings and Exercises from the Christian Tradition

by Derek Cooper

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2020

Overview

Basics of Latin: A Grammar with Readings and Exercises from the Christian Tradition by Derek Cooper introduces students, independent learners, and homeschoolers to the basics of Latin grammar with all readings and exercises taken from texts in the Christian tradition.

As part of the widely-used Zondervan Language Basics series of resources, Cooper’s Latin grammar is a student-friendly introduction. It helps students learn by:

• Minimizing technical jargon
• Providing only the information needed to learn the basics
• Breaking the grammar of language down into manageable and intuitive chunks
• Illustrating the grammar in question by its use in rich selections from ancient Christian authors.
• Providing grammar, readings, exercises, and a lexicon all in one convenient volume.

Basics of Latin provides an ideal first step into this important language and focuses on getting the student into texts and translation as quickly as possible.

Key Features

• Introduces the basics of Latin grammar
• Illustrates grammar by its use in rich selections from ancient Christian authors
• Provides a grammar, readings, exercises, and a lexicon

Contents

Top Highlights

“Latin does not possess the letter w, and the letters k, y, and z only appear in words borrowed from Greek.^{3” (Page xxii)}

“(1) ‘classical,’ (2) ‘ecclesiastical,’ and (3) ‘national.’” (Page xxii)

“Whereas some Latin books offer trite, made-up sentences for students to translate, this book only contains real-life, bona fide sentences from Latin-writing Christians. Here is my pledge to you: I will not make up any Latin sentences in this book.” (Page xix)

“the vocative is identical to the nominative case (except in the second declension).” (Page 7)

“Cicero is probably the quintessential representative of classical Latin, but other noteworthy authors include Caesar, Catullus, Horace, Livy, Ovid, Virgil, and many others. Many educated Christians were exposed to the niceties of the Latin language by reading these eminent authors, so they became very familiar with what they said and, especially, how they said it (even when they regularly disagreed with the content).” (Pages xviii–xix)

Product Details

• Title: Basics of Latin: A Grammar with Readings and Exercises from the Christian Tradition
• Author: Derek Cooper
• Series: Zondervan Language Basics
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Publication Date: 2020
• Pages: 320
• Resource Type: Grammar
• Topic: Latin

About Derek Cooper

Derek Cooper (PhD, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) is associate professor of world Christian history at Biblical Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Exploring Church History and Christianity and World Religions: An Introduction to the World's Major Faiths, and he is the coeditor of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture volume on 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles.