Meta Description: Ready to move from beginner to expert in Latin? Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle on the Ad Navseam Podcast as they share advanced strategies for language acquisition, from the “dative of possessor” hack to the power of the “pitchback” method. Plus, why you should never trust a “hobunk” translation of Rocket Man.
Introduction: Capturing the Monster
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 64 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. Jeff Winkle and Dr. David Noe return for the second installment of their guide on “How to Be a Latin Guru.”
If you have ever felt like Latin is a “gerundive grind”—a mechanical process of memorizing charts without ever really communicating—you are not alone. As Dr. Noe notes, citing François Waquet’s Latin, or the Empire of a Sign, Latin education was once the “daily bread” of students across Europe and the Americas. Yet, for many, it remains a “forbidding image,” defined by the “mediocrity of most people’s performance”.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, the hosts dive deep into the weeds of language acquisition, offering practical, actionable tips to take you from a passive reader to an active user of the language.
The Etymology of a Guru
Before becoming a guru, one must define it. Dr. Noe shares a fascinating etymological discovery: the Sanskrit word guru is actually a cognate with the Latin word gravis (heavy/weighty) and the Greek barus (heavy).
So, to be a Latin guru isn’t about sitting on a mountaintop with a long beard; it is about having gravitas. It means being serious, weighty, and substantive in your study.
With that “heavy” definition in mind, let’s look at the specific strategies discussed in the episode.
1. Beware the “Arugula Man” (The Dangers of Literal Translation)
One of the greatest pitfalls for new Latinists is assuming every English word has a direct, one-to-one Latin equivalent. Dr. Winkle illustrates this with a cautionary tale about a student who tried to translate Elton John’s “Rocket Man” into Latin.
Using a dictionary without checking the context, the student found the word rucheta for “rocket.” Unfortunately, rucheta refers to arugula (the leafy green vegetable), not a spacecraft. The result? A passionate ballad about being an “Arugula Man”.
The Lesson: Always check the semantic range of a word. Latin is not English in code; it is a system of meaning that requires context.
2. Master the Verb Placet (It Pleases)
To start speaking Latin immediately, Dr. Noe recommends mastering the verb placet (“it is pleasing”). This construction forces you to break free from English word order. Instead of saying “I like the table,” you say “The table is pleasing to me” (Mensa mihi placet).
- Practice: Start with simple objects. Arbor mihi placet (I like the tree). Pizza Hut mihi non placet (I don’t like Pizza Hut).
- Expansion: Once you master the singular, move to the plural (placent) and the negative (displacet).
3. Use the Dative of Possessor (Better than Habeo)
While many students learn habeo as “to have,” Dr. Noe argues that the dative of possessor is often a better, more idiomatic choice.
- Instead of Librum habeo (I possess a book), try Liber mihi est (A book is to me / I have a book).
- The “Duck Book” Method: Use resources like The First Thousand Words in Latin (the “Duck Book”) to practice this with everyday objects. Point to a towel and say Mantella mihi est.
4. The “Pitchback” Method: Repetition is Key
Dr. Noe compares language learning to baseball. To learn to catch, you don’t just read a book about physics; you throw a ball against a “pitchback” net thousands of times.
You must treat Latin constructions the same way. Don’t just learn placet once. Use it 500 times with 500 different nouns until it becomes muscle memory. Front-load the work so you own the concept forever.
5. The Top 10 Verbs Rule
If you want to make rapid progress, focus on the highest-frequency verbs first. Dr. Noe lists the top 10 verbs found in classical authors like Caesar and Cicero:
- Sum (to be)
- Dico (to say)
- Possum (to be able)
- Facio (to make/do)
- Video (to see)
- Habeo (to have/hold)
- Do (to give)
- Venio (to come)
- Fero (to bring/bear)
- Volo (to want).
Mastering these ten verbs—their forms, meanings, and compounds (like adsum, absum, desum)—will give you the keys to a massive amount of Latin literature.
6. Contextualize Your Vocabulary
Don’t learn words in a vacuum. Dr. Noe cites the advice of Daniel Pettersson (of Latinitium): take sticky notes and label everything in your house.
- Put a note on the cupboard (armarium).
- Put a note on the table (mensa).
- As you walk by, say Armarium video (I see the cupboard) or Mensa mihi est (I have a table).
7. Embrace the Fear of Looking Stupid
Adults often struggle with spoken Latin because they are terrified of making mistakes. Children, however, have no filter and learn rapidly because they are willing to take risks.
Dr. Noe’s advice? Admit that you can’t do it perfectly yet—that is why you are learning. As he tells his students, “If you could already do this, you wouldn’t need me and I’d be out of a job”. Adopt the mantra: Videri stultus nolo (I don’t want to look stupid), but do it anyway.
8. Learn the Parts of Speech (Alphabetically)
To organize your mental grammar, Dr. Noe suggests memorizing the eight parts of speech in Latin, preferably in alphabetical order to make them stick:
- Adjectivum (Adjective)
- Adverbium (Adverb)
- Conjunctio (Conjunction)
- Interjectio (Interjection)
- Nomen (Noun)
- Praepositio (Preposition)
- Pronomen (Pronoun)
- Verbum (Verb).
Once you have the categories, fill them with synonyms and antonyms. This “bun work” (sitting on your buns and studying) builds a robust vocabulary without relying on English.
9. Play the Que Game
Latin has a unique way of joining words using the enclitic -que. While English speakers say “Jeff and Dave,” Latin can say Jeff Daveque. This is unnatural for English speakers, so you must practice it intentionally.
- Mensa et sella becomes Mensa sellaque.
- Equus et bos becomes Equus bosque.
10. The 20-Year Plan (Consistency Over Cramming)
Finally, abandon the idea that you will master Latin in a semester. Dr. Noe suggests adopting a 20-year plan.
- If you learn just two words a day, in 20 years you will know over 12,000 words—a massive vocabulary.
- Consistency beats intensity. It is better to study for 13 minutes a day every day than to cram for three hours on Saturday. Your brain needs the daily repetition to internalize the language.
Conclusion: Patience is the Key to the Pantry
Becoming a Latin guru isn’t about magic tricks; it’s about changing your expectations and putting in the daily work. Whether you are labeling your latrina (bathroom) with sticky notes or chanting placet until you dream in dative, the journey is worth the effort.
As Jeff Winkle concludes with the Gustatory Parting Shot from Delia Owens: “For a scavenger, patience is the key to the pantry”. Be patient, keep scavenging for words, and eventually, the pantry of the Latin language will be open to you.
Valete!
Resources Mentioned:
- The “Duck Book”: First Thousand Words in Latin by Heather Amory (Usborne).
- Hackett Publishing: Use code AN2021 for 20% off high-quality translations.
- Ratio Coffee: Use code ANCO to enter the drawing for a free Ratio 6 coffee maker.
The Moss Method: Dr. Noe’s Greek course (check out the Blafrmoncy sale!).
