SCAtoday.net - Linguistics

The demise of the semicolon, alas!

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 07:52:57 -0400

[PANIC ALERT TO ENGLISH MAJORS!] In an article for Slate, Paul Collins ponders the demise of the semicolon in modern writing and looks at its history from the ancient Greeks, through the Middle Ages, to Edgar Allan Poe's irritation about the lowly mark's overuse.

Celts may trace roots to Spain and Portugal

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:17:00 -0400

Professor John Koch believes the Celtic homeland is more likely Spain or Portugal than northern Europe. Koch, who is a professor at the Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies Centre at the University of Wales, has found evidence of Celtic texts in Spain and Portugal that are 500 years earlier than those from northern Europe.

Practice Latin on the Vatican website

Wed, 28 May 2008 09:58:54 -0400

An ancient tongue gets a modern boost with the creation of Sancta Sedes, a Latin section of the Vatican's website which features papal texts and religious works.

Latin hip-hop highlights Festival of the Classics

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 15:18:32 -0400

"Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris/ Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior" ("I hate and I love. Why do I do it, perchance you might ask? I don't know, but I feel it happening to me and I'm burning up.") sings Ista, a German rap group that uses Latin verse in its performances.

Partum vita mottos in Latin

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:47:19 -0400

Latin phrases have traditionally been used for family mottos. Now everyone can have their own Latin motto by using In Rebus, an online motto creator.

"Send me socks and underpants!"

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 08:36:48 -0500

According to archaeologist Robin Birley, the researcher's life can be pretty bleak until he finds the really big discovery, in this case, letters from Roman soldiers. Harry Mount of the Daily Mail has the story.

Medieval Trivia

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:35:02 -0500

Medieval Trivia is a list for SCA, other related reenactment groups, and just general folk focusing on but not limited to Medieval Trivia and general "Gee-Whiz" information (not to mention sometimes humor) about both the Middle Ages and Renaissance period.visit Medieval Trivia

"As time goes by" Roman style

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:06:15 -0500

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Professor Judith Hallett of the University of Maryland, looks at how love was expressed in ancient Rome.

The sound of medieval English

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:26:25 -0500

The BBC's British History website includes the Ages of English Timeline which allows visitors to hear English the way it would have been spoken throughout the various historical periods.

DNA and linguistic studies show Liverpool's Viking heritage

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:55:57 -0500

Researchers believe that the area around Liverpool, England was a Viking settlement. Their findings are based on original surnames and DNA evidence.

Pop culture breathes life into Latin

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:12:53 -0500

Popular movies, movie stars, and TV series such as Harry Potter, Angelina Jolie, and Star Trek are mainly entertainment, but they also have helped keep Latin in the public eye when it otherwise would be forgotten outside academia.

An Introduction to Old English Language and Writing

Wed, 5 Dec 2007 07:48:35 -0500

Professor Edwin Duncan of Towson University has produced a nine-minute flash presentation on the reading and pronunciation of Old English.

University of Melbourne cancels Viking Studies program

Tue, 4 Dec 2007 08:45:25 -0500

The Medievalist.net blog reports that after more than 60 years, the University of Melbourne has cancelled its Viking Studies program. The program included instruction in Viking history and the Old Norse language.

Medieval Latin tutorial

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:40:35 -0400

The English National Archives has created a website to teach medieval Latin through a series of fun activities and lessons. The tutorial is aimed at teaching the Latin used to create documents written between 1086 and 1733.

Vicipaedia Latina

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:10:19 -0400

Bored with the usual blog gossip sites? Want something with a little more challenge? Try Vicipaedia Latina, the Latin version of Wikipedia, a "labor of love for a small group of Latin buffs and weekend philologists whose motto might well be 'What would Julius do?'"