Disce Haec Verba: a Latin version of LTWF

Natural Semantic Metalanguage(NSM) posits that all of a language can be described with a small set of its base words. David Bollock’s Learn These Words First(LTWF) demonstrates how a set of 300 English words can define 2,000 words.

A Latin list of base words has recently been published by Ignacio Aragües y Oroz¹. In this post, I’ll attempt to translate Lesson 1 of LTWF in to Latin equivalents using these words.

preface

In using NSM, the goal is far from trying to output eloquent, modern day speech. This can be seen in the example provided by Minimal English²

Galileo looked at the stars not like other people look at them before. Because of this, he could see them well, not like people could see them before.

This sentence is quite verbose, but is grammatically correct. The authors note that in framing the sentence this way, languages that lack comparative words (“galileo could see the stars ‘better’ than other people”) are still able to comprehend its meaning.

The Latin you see here would not have received the praise of Cicero, and may rarely look anything like what is seen in classical texts. The goal is to stay within the spirit of NSM by constructing sentences with as minimal of a grammar as possible. I occassionally deviate from the base vocabulary when LSFW does so as well.

1A. Seeing things.

Lesson 1A introduces the primitive verb ’to see’. I’m switching out the proper nouns ‘Tony’ and ‘Lisa’ with Marcus and Iulia.

Marcus Iuliam videt.  

Word for word translations of LTWF’s examples may be less intuitive in Latin due to its Grammatical Genders and noun declension rules. Many words in these lessons will be introduced in their accusative form.

The verb aliquis is introduced in its accusitive nuetral form.

Marcus Aliquid videt.
Iulia Aliquid videt.

hic and res are introduced in the accusative feminine.

Marcus videt hanc rem.

alius is introduced in the accusative feminine.

Iulia videt aliam rem.

Marcus sees this thing, Iulia sees the other thing.

1B. Sameness, One, Two, People

Marcus aliquid videt.

Iulia idem videt. 

Or the more verbose version, which puts idem in the feminine accusative:

Iulia eamdem rem videt.

Iulia idem videt ut marcus videt.

Marcus unam rem.
Iulia duas res videt.

Marcus unum hominem videt.
Iulia duos homines videt.

1C. Many, Inside, Not

Marcus multas res videt.

Iulia multos homines videt.

Aragües chooses intus to represent the spacial concept of ‘inside’, but it may more compelling to use intra for LTWF’s examples. Intra expects to be followed by an accusative noun.

Marcus intra hanc rem est.

while intus can stands on its own, implying the thing is known.

Marcus intus est.

Iulia intra hanc rem non est.

1D. Some, All, More, Being

Aliqui horum hominum intra hanc rem sunt.
Aliqui horum hominum intra hanc rem non sunt.

Omnes hi homines intra hanc rem sunt.

Duos homines intra unam harum rerum sunt.
Intra aliam rem homines non sunt.

Multi homines intra hanc rem sunt.
Plures homines intra aliam rem sunt.

lesson 1-15 introduces the word than, which is not considered prime by NSM.

Plures homines intra aliam rem sunt quam intra hanc rem.

1E. Living, Large, Small.

Duae harum rerum vivae sunt.
Una harum rerum viva non est.

Marcus aliquas magnas vivas res videt.
Duae harum rerum magnae sunt.
Una harum rerum magna non est.

an example of the non prime compartive form maior and minor are given.

J maior est quam K = "J plus magnus quam k"
J minor est quam K = "J plus parvus quam k"

Marcus aliquas magnas vivas res videt.

Una harum rerum magna est.
Duae harum rerum parvae sunt.

Marcus unam vivam rem videt.
Hoc valde magnum est.

1F. Kind, Touch, Distance

Marcus aliquas vivas res videt.
Duae harum sunt idem genus rei vivae.
una harum non est eiusdem generis aliis duabus.

unus homo intra hanc rem est.
Si Marcus intra hanc rem non est, alius homo intra est.
Si Marcus intra hanc rem est, alius homo intra non est.

Marcus aliquid tangit.
Iulia Marcum tangit.

Marcus procul ab Iulia est.
Iulia procul a Marco est.

Marcus non procul ab Iulia est.
Marcus prope Iuliam est.
Iulia prope Marcum est.

Iulia in eodem loco quam hae aliae duae res est.

1G. Place, above, side.

LTFW switches from inside introduced in 1C to in for this lesson. I follow for translation sake.

Iulia in hoc loco est.
in hoc loco duae aliae res sunt.
Marcus in hoc loco non est.
Marcus in alio loco est.

Iulia intra hanc rem est.
Marcus supra hanc rem est.
Marcus supra Iuliam est.

Marcus in uno latere huius rei est.

I use altero here instead of alius.

Iulia in altero latere est.

Marcus unum latus huius rei tangit.

1H. Hear, Say, Words, Truth.

Marcus aliquid audit.
Marcus aliquid dicit.
Marcus aliquid Iuliae dicit.

De hac viva re aliquid Marcus dicit.
Marcus dicit: "hac viva res parva est."

Marcus aliqua verba dicit.
Iulia plura verba dicit.

Marcus dicit: "Intra haec res duo homines sunt."
Iulia dicit: "Intra haec res unus homo est."
Quod Marcus dicit verum non est.
Quod Iulia dicit verum est.