Astrologophile

I submitted the home exam/assignment yesterday! I started this month by submitting another one day late, then four days early, now one day early 🥳 I'm usually a stable "five minutes before deadline" kinda gal.

Only one assignment left now, yay! Surprisingly I haven't felt motivated to finish it despite it just being writing an informative text about Pliny the younger - in my native language. No translation or analysis involved. But I do want it to be good. Gonna channel my inner (elder) Pliny and get studious.

Today's setup, still catless, but Åke did end up sitting in the left box a lot yesterday!

This is my inner Pliny lol. Yes it's AI. Just a silly image I prompted when I stayed up at night to finish that late assignment and needed motivation. Let's not even discuss the fact that bound books didn't exist yet.

These blue book covers, very minimalistic and they just feel very serious and trustworthy and for some reason I like that the edge of the covers align with the edge of the pages?

Index of forms / Index Verborum. All the Latin words and forms used in the book. Amazing. So helpful. Obviously not a new idea (this book is from 1999) but I don't think I've seen it before.

My studies have really been all over the place lately, some random sessions in between working and activities/events. My brain really wants to go on vacation, too. There's a deadline tomorrow at noon for my Latin history class that I plan to - WILL - submit today! This afternoon and the weekend is for finishing my Pliny introduction but also celebrating a friend's birthday and our national day.

Got some advice from my physiotherapist for when I'm working and studying and for my poor aging back's sake I'm gonna do my best, so today I've set up shop at the kitchen table again, raising the screen, using a detached keyboard... sitting upright lol. I was gonna put an alarm at 10 to get up and hang up my laundry as a little break and stand up, but uhh the prep took more time than planned. I also put out boxes for the cats since they've enjoyed sleeping on the table when I'm studying, but as you can see they were not tempted. Oh well.

Ohhhh man, I accidentally took a long pause from tumblr! Studies, a trip to Rome, more studies, birthday... but now I'm back and ready to get some structure again (it has been seriously lacking lately)! I need to get right into it, so here's my plan for today:

Read some introductions of published translations

Gather information about Pliny the younger with references

Start writing my introduction

Okay I'm so excited about the history of Latin now! Had a nice Zoom lecture where I realized that I need to revise phonological terminology and IPA symbols and geography of (ancient) Italy... and learn German really fast? How come the Germans have written all the good scholarly books on Latin and why aren't they translated lol?

Jokes aside, I've got some short Oxford bibliography articles to go through, and I think I want to make a quick terminology list (which will definitely not be quick) before I dive into the main course book.

Read Oxford Bibliography: "Italic Languages", "Archaic Latin", and "Latin and Indo-European"

Terminology list for phonology etc

Read chapter 2 (or 3?) of Blackwell's History of the Latin Language

Learn the areas of the ancient Italian peninsula

Browse through Weiss' Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin

Plus today I got the book I ordered last week, the latest edition of Medical terminology. It's a Swedish medical dictionary, rarely used in the era of Google, but I like it old school, and even though I'm only working part-time at the hospital I know I'll browse in it on my free time as well because it's just so interesting!

Pretty much done! A friend (actually, three) read and commented my translation so I've gone through them and adjusted a bit. It's the first time I've had someone that's not a teacher read my translation - it's actually really helpful, both for finding the right words and expressions to make it sound natural in the target language, and for interpreting the original text correctly. Focusing on producing an actual working translation was both more difficult and so much more fun than simply showing the teacher I've understood the text. Also Pliny was a delight to translate, I'll probably continue just for fun!

Flashcards - check!

Chapter 8 - check!

Blackwell's History - nope!

Last day of the month and last day of my chill schedule. Tomorrow my History of the Latin Language class starts, yay! No preparations needed, but I'll be diving into the course literature more seriously. Next week the Latin epigraphy course finally begins as well and for that one I've got some introductory reading to do left. There's also Easter and an upcoming trip soo I better get going!

As many flashcards as I can until lunch

Read chapter 8 of the Handbook of Roman Epigraphy

Read Blackwell's History of Latin

Last day of the month and last day of my chill schedule. Tomorrow my History of the Latin Language class starts, yay! No preparations needed, but I'll be diving into the course literature more seriously. Next week the Latin epigraphy course finally begins as well and for that one I've got some introductory reading to do left. There's also Easter and an upcoming trip soo I better get going!

As many flashcards as I can until lunch

Read chapter 8 of the Handbook of Roman Epigraphy

Read Blackwell's History of Latin