Come for the Latin, Stay for the Philology
Ling-phil is like crack. I got an extension on deciding what Latin stuff to study/what Medieval Latin course I want to design/what dissertation I want to do. I got a bunch of books out from the library, which I haven't looked at because I've been merrily going to all sorts of linguistics and philology seminars that I really shouldn't be going to at all. Mostly philology. Non-philologists don't seem to have any fun parties in that department for some reason.
There is a philologists' LUNCH. Every Tuesday. Lots of nice thick sandwiches! Lots of nice thick brownies! Lots of wine! After which we all mosey down to the Ergativity in Indo-European seminar.
"So, when you did your research on Hurrian... oh, yes, there's plenty of the tomato and brie sandwiches left."
"Yes, I'll have some more of the white, thank you. Now, tell me, does Andreas really believe in the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?"
I manage to keep up with my Ancient Greek homework, but I'm dreading the Latin decision deadline. (November 1st.) I just want to keep on cheating on classics with linguistics. Honestly, this alone is a reason to worship Oxford! Today, I had a terrible problem. How on earth do I get from my Introduction to Oscan and Umbrian seminar to the Old Irish evening of the Introducing Ancient Languagues series in time?
Rest of that series of seminars:
22 October: Old Irish (Prof T.M.O. Charles-Edwards)
29 October: Old Frisian (Dr Johanneke Sytsema)
5 November: Hittite (Dr Philomen Probert)
12 November: Classical Armenian (Dr Daniel Kölligan)
19 November: Indo European (Dr Peter Barber)
26 November: Old Egyptian (Prof John Baines)
FFS. I'll never get to Tea & Cakes in the MCR on Wednesdays after O&U, will I? I mean, Hittite. HITTITE. (And I won't even need any Germans flogging me. Philomen couldn't beat a fly.)
Oscan and Umbrian is really bloody difficult. I'm in with undergrads for whom this is revision. But I'm comforted by the fact that I have the only degree in Ireland (the Latin and Linguistics combination at UCD) that could prepare me for it at all.
Fun Indo-European info of the day:
1) The old Irish word for community, "tuath", derives directly from the Proto-Indo-European word *teuta, meaning people. As does Tudor. (Old Welsh Tudyr). Yes, those Tudors. Isn't that cool? I learned it in the Introducing Oscan and Umbrian class.
2) During Ancient Greek this morning it was pointed out to me that Dia, the Irish for god, is very similar to theos and deus, the Greek and Latin words respectively. But I theorised that both are likely to derive from PIE, rather than Latin being a later influence on Irish. Luckily, I thought to myself, "Why, Eleanor, you're planning to attend the introductory lecture on Old Irish tonight. You can ask the person who's delivering it!" (I did. I was right.)
And as is the custom, it seems, with every seminar in this university that finishes after 5pm, and quite a few that don't, there was wine for afters.
Now I have to go and apply to be an accountant. Wah. Could've gone drinking with a Harrovian instead.
I love, love being in a place where somebody will shake his fist and say, "Now, don't let anyone ever tell you that that inscription is evidence for a perfect particle in Oscan, because it isn't!" And where somebody else will say, "Now, Celtic philologists will get into punch-ups in seedy pubs over the history of this particular infix."
There is a philologists' LUNCH. Every Tuesday. Lots of nice thick sandwiches! Lots of nice thick brownies! Lots of wine! After which we all mosey down to the Ergativity in Indo-European seminar.
"So, when you did your research on Hurrian... oh, yes, there's plenty of the tomato and brie sandwiches left."
"Yes, I'll have some more of the white, thank you. Now, tell me, does Andreas really believe in the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?"
I manage to keep up with my Ancient Greek homework, but I'm dreading the Latin decision deadline. (November 1st.) I just want to keep on cheating on classics with linguistics. Honestly, this alone is a reason to worship Oxford! Today, I had a terrible problem. How on earth do I get from my Introduction to Oscan and Umbrian seminar to the Old Irish evening of the Introducing Ancient Languagues series in time?
Rest of that series of seminars:
22 October: Old Irish (Prof T.M.O. Charles-Edwards)
29 October: Old Frisian (Dr Johanneke Sytsema)
5 November: Hittite (Dr Philomen Probert)
12 November: Classical Armenian (Dr Daniel Kölligan)
19 November: Indo European (Dr Peter Barber)
26 November: Old Egyptian (Prof John Baines)
FFS. I'll never get to Tea & Cakes in the MCR on Wednesdays after O&U, will I? I mean, Hittite. HITTITE. (And I won't even need any Germans flogging me. Philomen couldn't beat a fly.)
Oscan and Umbrian is really bloody difficult. I'm in with undergrads for whom this is revision. But I'm comforted by the fact that I have the only degree in Ireland (the Latin and Linguistics combination at UCD) that could prepare me for it at all.
Fun Indo-European info of the day:
1) The old Irish word for community, "tuath", derives directly from the Proto-Indo-European word *teuta, meaning people. As does Tudor. (Old Welsh Tudyr). Yes, those Tudors. Isn't that cool? I learned it in the Introducing Oscan and Umbrian class.
2) During Ancient Greek this morning it was pointed out to me that Dia, the Irish for god, is very similar to theos and deus, the Greek and Latin words respectively. But I theorised that both are likely to derive from PIE, rather than Latin being a later influence on Irish. Luckily, I thought to myself, "Why, Eleanor, you're planning to attend the introductory lecture on Old Irish tonight. You can ask the person who's delivering it!" (I did. I was right.)
And as is the custom, it seems, with every seminar in this university that finishes after 5pm, and quite a few that don't, there was wine for afters.
Now I have to go and apply to be an accountant. Wah. Could've gone drinking with a Harrovian instead.
I love, love being in a place where somebody will shake his fist and say, "Now, don't let anyone ever tell you that that inscription is evidence for a perfect particle in Oscan, because it isn't!" And where somebody else will say, "Now, Celtic philologists will get into punch-ups in seedy pubs over the history of this particular infix."