Chapter I Scintilla and Horatia at home

Vītam nārrāmus Quīntī Horātī Flaccī. lēctor, attende et fābulā gaudē.

(We are telling the story of the life of Quintus Horatius Flaccus. Reader, pay attention and enjoy the story.)

What English words come from nārrāmus, attende, fābula?

Quīntus est puer Rōmānus. Quīntus in Apūliā habitat; Apūlia est in Italiā.

Scintilla est fēmina Rōmāna; in casā labōrat. Horātia puella Rōmāna est; in casā cēnat.

A very large number of English words are derived from Latin.

Your knowledge of English will often enable you to see immediately the meaning of unknown Latin words and your knowledge of Latin will often enable you to recognize the meaning of difficult English words.

For instance, from Latin habitat are derived English 'habitation', 'inhabit' etc., so that you can see immediately that the Latin word must mean 'lives', 'dwells'; from labōrat come English 'labour' etc., so that the Latin word must mean 'works'.

What is (a) a laborious task (b) puerile behaviour (c) feminine intuition? From which Latin word is each of the English words in italics derived? What do the Latin words mean?

Vocabulary 1 Learn the following words

從略

Scintilla and Horatia at home

Read aloud, understand and translate the following passage

Scintilla in casā labōrat; fessa est. Horātia in casam intrat; iēiūna est. sed cēna nōn parāta est. Scintilla festīnat et mox cēna est parāta.

'ecce!' inquit, 'cēna est parāta.' puella laeta est; ad mēnsam festīnat et avidē cenat.

postrīdiē Scintilla ad tabernās ambulat. Horātia in casā labōrat. mox Scintilla redit et in casam intrat. ecce, parāta est cēna. Scintilla laeta est.