Psalm 114: Latin Study Hints Part A

Yesterday, I provided a short introduction to Psalm 114.  Today, before we start the verse by verse look at it, some notes on it to assist those wishing to learn or refresh their Latin.

First some revision...

Before we start looking at the psalm properly, pick out what you already know.

First, vocabulary.  Don't worry about what the whole thing means, just start by findingt those very frequent words that are important to know, and any others you can work out, and see how much of the psalm you already know. 

I've highlighted some key ones:

Diléxi, quóniam exáudiet dóminus vocem (vox, voice) oratiónis meæ.
Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: et in diébus (days) meis invocábo.
Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis (death): et perícula inférni invenérunt me.
Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: et nomen (name) Dómini invocávi.
O Dómine, líbera ánimam meam: miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
Custódiens párvulos Dóminus: humiliátus sum, et liberávit me.
Convértere, ánima mea, in réquiem tuam: quia Dóminus benefécit tibi.
Quia erípuit ánimam meam de morte: óculos meos a lácrimis, pedes meos a lapsu.
Placébo Dómino in regióne vivórum.

Look out too, for a few of the less common words that you may remember from Psalms 3 and 22 such as circumdare, to surround:

Ps 3: Non timébo míllia pópuli circumdántis me (I will not fear thousands of the people, surrounding me)
Ps 114: Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: et perícula inférni invenérunt me.

Secondly, grammar.  My suggestion is that you use each new psalm to revise the grammar paradigms you have already learnt. If you are following the Simplicisimus course (see the link to the course materials in the sidebar):

• Unit 1 covered nouns in the five declensions – work out which case all the occurrences of anima (first declension), Dominus (second declension), vocem (third declension) and dies (fifth declension) are in;
• Unit 2 looked at present tense verbs. There is one that looks like a present tense verb here (sum) but is actually part of another verb, humilio;
• Unit 3 looked at the present indicative passive – there are no examples of this in the psalm;
• Unit 4 looked at adjectives – three useful ones to look out for are justus, a, um, just; parvulus, a, um, small, little; and vivus, a, um alive, living.

New vocab to learn

And here are some more frequently used words that you might want to add to your learning list for this week:

quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed;
oratio, onis, f. prayer, supplication
auris, is, f. the ear.
mors, mortis, f., death
dolor, oris, m. pain, whether of body or of mind, grief, sorrow, affliction;sin

Look out too, for words with common roots to one's you already know - Psalms 3 and 22 both used the verb tribulare, to oppress, afflict or harass.  This week's psalm uses tribulatio, ionis, distress, affliction, or tribulation.

Grammar

Unit 5 of Simplicissimus covers adverbs and prepositions. Examples of the prepositions used in the psalm are highlighted below:

Diléxi, quóniam exáudiet dóminus vocem oratiónis meæ.
Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: et in diébus meis invocábo.
Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: et perícula inférni invenérunt me.
Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: et nomen Dómini invocávi.
O Dómine, líbera ánimam meam: miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
Custódiens párvulos Dóminus: humiliátus sum, et liberávit me.
Convértere, ánima mea, in réquiem tuam: quia Dóminus benefécit tibi.
Quia erípuit ánimam meam de morte: óculos meos a lácrimis, pedes meos a lapsu.
Placébo Dómino in regióne vivórum.

Say it out loud!

Finally, don't forget to work with one or more of the recordings until you can say each verse fluently yourself, and ideally, sing it.: