Josephus Shavius, Oxford's answer to Maria Barba.
Today's Latin word, often used by those interested in the traditional Latin Mass, is Loftus, meaning a buffoon or clown.
Loftus, a clown (nominative), Lofte, O clown (vocative), Loftum, a clown (accusative), Lofti, of a clown (genitive), Lofto, to a clown (dative), Lofto, by with or from a clown (ablative).The plural form is Lofti, Lofti, Loftos, Loftorum, Loftis, Loftis.
O Tempora! O Lofti!
A good example of the use of Loftus can be found in Cicero's famous cry against a plague of superannuated priests writing nonsensical essays: O Tempora! O Lofti! This is usually translated as O (Catholic) Times! O Clowns!
Next, as Damian Thompson's blog becomes even more like a parody of this one, there is still one good reason to read it.
Damian Bingo!
Yes, make yourself some Bingo cards similar to the one above, and tick off the themes as they (inevitably) appear in Damian's Saturday column.
Noele Gordon, grandmother of Bryony (just for you, Damian).
Hurrah - what a feast, darling eccles- housey house with the Dame - what fun xx Jess
ReplyDeleteEr Eccles, wouldn't the Dative Plural be 'Loftibus'...?
ReplyDeleteAs in:
De loftibus non est disputandum
Well it would be if Loftus were 4th declension, but here it is taken to be 2nd declension. See, e.g., http://www.math.osu.edu/~conrad.44/lang/ln2.html
DeleteIf anyone offers you a Loftus, decline it poilitely.
And if it were 4th declension, most of the other forms would be wrong.
DeleteHas Toad an opinion on this? As a Bufo, he is two-thirds of the way to Lofty status.
DeleteIn this week's Damian Bingo I get:
ReplyDelete1 point for a plug of the Fix,
1 point for a joke about the Lib Dems,
maybe 1/2 a point because he screams at Peter Hitchens (I saw this coming, and should add "Mail on Sunday" to "Guardian or Independent");
but he's listening to Bruckner not Bach this week.
Well done eccles - I saw a tweet to the Dame sayin you was rite xx Jess xx
Delete