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Lesson 3
Lesson 3: Working with texts: applying grammar, using a
dictionary, thinking about meaning
Carolingian riddles
"In 804 Alcuin, a Yorkshireman, died in his abbey
[...] at Tours, in his seventieth year. He was master of the cathedral
school at York, and so famous a scholar that Charlemagne persuaded him to
come to [...] France." - , A book of medieval Latin for schools, London, 1931 (1971)
How Charlemagne's son, Pepin and Alcuin asked each other riddles
| Quid est littera? | Custos historiae. |
| Quid est homo? | Mancipium mortis, transiens viator, loci hospes. |
| Quid est somnus? | Mortis imago. |
| Quid est luna? | Oculus noctis, roris larga, praesaga tempestatum. |
| Quid sunt stellae? | Nautarum gubernatores, noctis decor. |
| Quid est nebula? | Nox in die. |
| Quid est mare? | Audaciae via, limes terrae, divisor regionum, hospitium fluviorum, fons imbrium, refugium in periculis, gratia in voluptatibus. |
| Quid est aqua? | Subsidium vitae, ablutio sordium. |
| Quid est nix? | Aqua sicca. |
| Quid est hiems? | Aestatis exul. |
| Quid est ver? | Pictor terrae. |
| Quid est autumnus? | Horreum anni. |
| Quid est annus? | Quadriga mundi. |
| Quis ducit eam? | Nox et dies, frigus et calor. |
| Quis est auriga eius? | Sol et luna. |
| Quid est navis? | Navis est domus erratica, vicina arenae. |
| Quid est arena? | Murus terrae. |
| Quid est herba? | Vestis terrae. |
| Quid sunt holera? | Amici medicorum, laus coquorum. |
| Quid est quod amara dulcia facit? | Fames. |
| Quid est amicitia? | Aequalitas animorum. |
| Quid est miles? | Murus imperii, timor hostium, gloriosum servitium. |
transiens is a participle,
used as an adjective with viator
This is medieval Latin and quid is used even for plurals.
eam and eius both refer to quadriga and
are accusative (for the object) and genitive respectively, from is.
eam and eius both refer to quadriga and
are accusative (for the object) and genitive respectively, from is.
This is medieval Latin and quid is used even for plurals.
