My old Latin teacher taught us
Carpe Diem. “Seize the day”…
What nonsense!
I don’t know what things were like in Latin times,
whether their concept of day was
radically
different to ours
(Did you know they had no word for “blue”? I digress)
But the metaphysical notion of “seizing” in the sense of forcibly grasping and holding in one’s hands one full rotation around the Sun…
that’s beyond me.
No wonder the language died out.
No blue sky thinking.
Picture credit: flickr.com/photos/39493003
occasional creativity in a bloke-shaped package
Children's Author, Tea Drinker, Epic Procrastinator
Laura Grevel Blogs on Life and Writing
Poetry,short stories,
Some are calm, some are disturbed, some are lonely… but some are pleasantly busy!
NG9ish
Author
Book Humour. A Sideways Perspective on the Bonkers Business of Books
This is the blog of a woman who is seriously on the edge and I mean right ON the edge…no, not there… just a little bit further… further than that…no, further still…just a tiny bit more… just move slightly to the right a little…no, that’s too much…just move a tad to the left…that’s right, just there…now you’ve moved too far to the left… Damn, what part of the ‘on the edge’ do you not understand? Oh, and her matricidal boy genius, come devil spawn.
Alistair Lane - Writer, Poet, Daydreamer
Writing, the Universe and whatever occurs to me
Poetry from Walsall and Black Country poet Richard Archer since 2011
Reminding mean boys that big girls push back since 2015.
~ Communicator, WordSmith, Artist, Guide, Mentor, Muse ~
Ramblings, poetry & short snipets
A Certain Point of View 
Ahem… I don’t think you can say the language died down, it just evolved into many different languages, some taking its lexis, others the grammar structures, but certainly not *died out*…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nil satis nisi optimum, eh?
(It’s not a serious piece! 🙂 )
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never learnt Latin, I have no clue what you’re saying 😉
Aside from ‘nil’ meaning ‘nothing’ and optimum, sell… being the best 🙂
I didn’t mean to sound serious, sorry, coming down with a throat infection, apparently it’s affe ting not just my oral but written expression as well 😉
XO
LikeLiked by 1 person
I only know the phrase from a football club motto! Sorry to hear about the throat. Be well x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed this, fantastic sense of humor. Looking forward to seeing some more of your stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks LF. Wasn’t sure whether this one would “work”, so glad for the positive feedback! Welcome aboard 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha.
I like your thought process. And although Latin is still an impirtant hidden language among biologists etc I cant stand it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s good to let the mind run free some days… other days it needs chaining down!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And what about having to touch those fish? I’ve no desire to seize a carp… just sayin’
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re always carping on about that…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m kinda, sorta, hooked, eh?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wasn’t sure you’d carped it quiet… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well… you can’t go fishing (wait for it.. wait for it… ) without A NET! Yeah, I’m here all week, try the veal
LikeLiked by 1 person
=D> ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
HaHA! Trust you Annette! I am in no mood to seize a carp either! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
😀
LikeLike
My signature message on my emails is: “Consider this diem carped.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very apt!
LikeLike
Really, no word for blue? How interesting! It’s a fun piece 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
There was some debate on it between academics a couple of years ago. The concept that we had no colour X until the word for it was invented nearly blew my mind!
LikeLike
They had no word for blue? You’re teasing me, right?
Seize the day, Al.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No teasing here! All the great Latin writers and poets described the sea and sky using red, black, green… but no blue. It’s possible their interpretation of green may have been broader than ours, but still, it melts my brain!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I studied Latin for a couple of years at school, but I was terrible at it, so can’t remember much, apart from how to say “I make war, you make war, he makes war…” (bellum, bellis, bellit… – they were quite into making war, them Romans).
Also, up until a few hundred years ago, there was no English word for the colour orange. The colour got its name from the fruit. That’s why a robin is described as having a red breast, despite it being clearly orange; we had robins before orange.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t know that one… Top fact!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I took Latin for 3 years in high school. Only 4 of us kept going back for more because the teacher was so mellow and we were relegated to the back corner while he taught the Latin 1 kids. So basically, we all got A’s and spent most of our time just talking. Not in Latin. Oh, and I remember very little of it!
Etiam magister, ego vigilans
(Okay, I looked that up. It may not even be correct…) 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
It looks good to me – I never actually studied Latin. Not everything on here is true… Only the good stuff!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha… yes, the good stuff! Well, truth be told… I never “studied” it either. But I was there. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, I know that feeling!
LikeLiked by 1 person