LATIN 3B 2021 WORD
Word study ranks have been translated into the 10-point scale
Your peers ranked you on the first FIVE items. ONLY your instructor handed you the GRADE.
Most of your peers are educated evaluators so they often have good things to say even if they
tend to be much too generous in their scores. I have written specific recommendations for each
of your studies in RED. What does your grade mean? (Before any bonus additions or deductions)
95-100 – Analytical, well-supported study. Written with precision and edited with high accuracy.
90-94 – Largely analytical, generally well-supprted. Some issues in composition/ presentation.
85-89 – headed in the right direction but with some failings in analysis, evidence, writing.
80-84 – Failings in analysis or evidence but all elements assigned are at least present albeit thin.
79 or below – failure to complete essay as assigned to a greater or lesser degress as indicated.
If you wrote casually or in the style of a blog or creative essay, you did not get credit for writing
“with precision.” Confused? Sign up for Skillful Scribbler next year for essential academic
writing instruction.
NOTES ABOUT YOUR SECOND WORD STUDY
Many are struggling with stylistic issues. If you plan to continue with academic writing (AP Latin…or college) you
must learn to write cleanly, clearly, and accurately following rules for academic composition.
• USE ONLY THIRD PERSON – Period. No “I” or “you” or “we” in any academic piece EVER.
• Remove all padding, fluff, bulky modifiers, and especially drama. Academic writing does not need to be boring,
but it MUST be accurate, clean, and focused and – yes – formal in tone.
When a Latin word has a simple meaning, but it is used literally and metaphorically in prose or poetry, it STILL
has a simple meaning. Many of you continued to argue that your word had “many and varied meanings” when
actually NOPE. The Romans didn’t consult a massive list of English synonyms as they composed. Only modern
English speakers attempt to do this and then grow confused in translation. Latin is simple. Latin is clear.
English is a mess.
• Reviews—how did YOU do? Refer to the compilation if you don’t recall your Word Study number.
2 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
WORD STUDY 1
• Good examples: 92
• Analysis was helpful: 88
Written Critiques:
A word study with excellent flow. The introduction flowed naturally into the middle paragraphs and
the conclusion. The examples were solid as well. One thing I would point out is the length. It's a
long word study, encapsulating a lot of things, and you fit a lot of good examples in, but there can
be too much of a good thing. I would try cutting down on the word count a bit. Very good word
study!
Don’t use a space around hyphens-- makes it hard to read Good sources
Good job! Your translations were good with only a few small inaccuracies of no account, your
conclusion was convincing, and you clearly defined the word based on your examples. However,
don’t put the Latin example at the beginning of a paragraph, you should have found more authors
instead of using Cicero three times, and your word study could have been shortened.
I would most definitely advise against making such a loaded and controversial statement as:
“Although Catullus’ poems are perfect from every standpoint, their subject matter, being frivolous,
contains little to no value.” Putting aside the accuracy of this statement (and it is inaccurate), it
serves no purpose in your paper besides filler, and only distracts the reader and likely makes them
very angry. It’s pretty clear that Catullus is not referring to his Neoteric subject matter here, but he
is instead being polite, like if I were to say to you: “Wow, that was an excellent translation,” you
might say to me: “oh, it was nothing.” In addition, from what we have read of this type of poetry,
Neoteric does not necessarily mean frivolous, irrelevant, or unimportant, but rather has a small,
personal, and daily vibe to it—one might even say that Catullus’s poems are more relevant to the
life of an average person than the Aeneid or Metamorphosis because. Besides the Catullus
paragraph, your paper is pretty good. The only other thing that I would say is to pick a more
interesting word next time. You have quite a long paper, but quite a pedestrian word, in the same
camp as magnus, puella, or bonus, which makes the paper very dry and boring.
This is a solid word study. Your examples are good, with a wonderful analysis. The first two
sentences of your introduction were very original and interesting, but I think you gave away the
ending. Instead, hint at what the core meaning is. Also, your word study is very wordy. I would try
to cut down a bit on your explanations, they are a bit too long. Or cut out the first Cicero example,
since the meaning ‘trifle,’ was already explained by your Catullus example. But otherwise, really
good work! You can tell you put a lot of work into this.
Well-written word study! I really liked your last example that showed nuga being used sarcastically.
Your summary was very clear. The trumpery of men example didn’t align with your “little or no
value theme” as well as your other examples though. I would have either explained that one better
or left it out.
3 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
Wow! I can tell that you worked hard on this! I have a much better understanding of the word nuga
now. Sometimes, however, I feel like you could be splitting hairs or giving a long explanation whose
length might detract from its helpfulness. Overall, though, nice work!
You chose a good word and provided excellent examples. (I congratulate you for working out what
Plautus is talking about in any context.) Your extreme praise for Catullus was, perhaps, beyond the
scope of academic writing.
You had good examples and good reasoning. The reasoning in your second example about the two
types of conversation was truly excellent!! However, I didn’t understand a few of your translation
choices. I don’t see how “quas, malum, nugas?” became “curse such nonsense,” or why you
translated “amo” as “I am obliged.” Further, I’d recommend not using archaic words like “trumpery”
– use a word that you would naturally use!
Your word study was really fun to read and I enjoyed it very much. I haven't really thought about
the word before but now I see it differently. Some cognates would have been appreciated though.
FORMAT – use a comma, not a period between Latin and translation: Corneli, tibi: namque tu
solebas meas esse aliquid putare nugas, “Cornelius, to you: for you were accustomed to think my little
trifles were something” (Catullus, Carmina 1.3-4). SHORTEN! If you must invent novel punctuation
methods to manage a convoluted sentence, just create several short sentences. In the second half
of your essay, you START with the definition you plan to use in a passage. It is best to unroll for the
reader the evidence you have and then select a particular English synonym.
You’ve done a fine job of making a solid case for the core meaning of the word.
WORD STUDY 2
• Good examples: 89
• Analysis was helpful: 79
• Overall: 84
• GRADE: 82
Written Critiques:
Make sure not to forget the formatting rules! Why would science have to explain a branch of poetry
about love? Why can’t it be that love is a powerful emotion, and when poets are under the influence of
it, they turn to love poems? Overall though, good job with explaining the different uses of the word!
I don’t think amor really warrants a word study. It means love, in the same generic way that the
English equivalent does today. You try to justify it with your analysis of the Pliny quote, saying “it is
not the same,” but it is, it’s a generic use of a generic word, used exactly the same way we do in
English (Examples: “the people loved president so-and-so,” “the people loved senator so-and-so.”)
Pliny could have used a more specific word, but he didn’t, and I don’t think it’s accurate to change the
entire definition of the word based off of one example when the word is so broad. In addition, Catullus
4 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
used amor and amo to describe his feelings for Lesbia many times, even when he knew he couldn’t
trust her. You have a pretty solid paper here, but you sacrificed accuracy for creativity, and that is not
ideal.
I enjoyed your word study, but some sentences would be better placed in a blog post or novel. Keep
your audience in mind: in this case, your audience had to know who Catullus, Cupid, and Cicero are for
their exams.
I really liked this word study! Your examples are solid, and your analysis helpful (but also interesting!).
I actually enjoyed reading it. While the opening of the introduction is good, you explain too much in
the beginning. Just hint at your meaning, don’t give all the meanings away! Also, make sure your
font/sizing is correct. Wonderful!
I really liked your study. You did forget to use quotes on the English bits in some places which made it
a little confusing. Other than that I enjoyed it.
Poets don’t write prose Build up to the conclusion better-- only one of the translations meant
something other than straight-up love, and only the most recent one, which most likely means it’s not
the original meaning
You did a good job explaining which type of love the author was discussing in each example. You also
provided a nice overview of the uses of the word “amor.” However, your word was not controversial
enough to use for a word study. Also, I’d recommend translating your passages more carefully and
literally. For example, in your example about Cupid, “hoc ut dixit” is “when he said this” not “upon
hearing this.”
You did a good job in this paper, although I suggest cutting out a lot of the fluff in the introduction
paragraph. I don’t really see what the scientific views of love have to do with the Latin word amor. And
I’m not entirely sold on your core definition. I think that amor has a deeper meaning than just “trust.”
However, you gave great examples of this word in action and had good analysis. Nice work!
You found decent examples that showcased your word in ways other than its common meaning of
romantic love. Much of your intro is not specific to the Latin use of amor as you talk about its English
uses. I felt there was too much causal language throughout your word study. Your translation of
thence seems unnatural. Also, I disagree that trust is always a prerequisite for love/amor, especially
since your first example refers to a philandering Catullus clearly looking for lust, not trust.
Your introduction is too long, and most of it either doesn't follow from what came before or is simply
irrelevant. It would also have been better had you explained how you reached the conclusions you did
for each passage. On the plus side, you did produce good translations for your chosen passages, and
your selection of word was pretty good.
Format deduction. Delete the first filler sentence at the start of the essay and weed out excess
verbiage (for example, why mention “Science” when explaining a Latin word) to thin it down to just
what is essential. Delete filler background information on Catullus (know your audience). Omit all the
other padded bits (lots of fluff here). Sloppy translations. Choose a more interesting word.
5 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
WORD STUDY 3
• Good examples: 90
• Analysis was helpful: 88
Written Critiques:
I think that the prefix isn’t cum-, I think it’s con-. You provided some good examples showing
variation in your word. Good job! Reviewer: cum becomes con before a consonant.
A good word study overall. The examples are plentiful and the translations are good. I would say
that the introduction is a little too short. It does not have much bridge supporting the hook and the
thesis. The conclusion is nice and long, however.
First off, Cicero died in 43 BC, did you mean 56BC? If so, be sure to re-read your paper at least
once to catch little errors like this. Next time, make your paper a little bit longer, but I think you did
a pretty good job, especially in the conclusion. Reviewer: you are aware that years count down (not
up) prior to A.D. 1? This writer has correctly placed the year of the work. Cicero died 13 years after
it was written in 43.
I suggest not starting a word study by saying that your word is found in many Latin texts by many
different authors—that just doesn’t set up the rest of the paper very well. And it would be helpful if
you had given just a tad more analysis in paragraph 4 (“Written in 69 BC” … “into consideration”).
However, I really liked reading your paragraph on some English derivatives.
It is helpful to show that the word is a combination of two words in Latin. I think one more
additional sentence in your intro that hinted at your core meaning would have set the tone for the
rest of your word study. You have a good analysis in your examples, especially the Ariadne
example. Overall a good word study, but I felt that the core meaning would have worked better
with “observed” in your examples instead of “acknowledged.”
Nice work! Each meaning is unique, not just a list of synonyms. The analysis is helpful, too. And I
think you mastered the introduction, which is always tricky. But, while you claim that ‘con’ is
necessary, I don’t see how you address that in the actual word study. I’m still confused, why is it
necessary? You also have a few grammatical errors, which is always hard to catch. Maybe trying
reading your paper out loud, I find that helps. Otherwise, great!
Not bad. There were grammar errors, such as the fragment "Meaning 'understand' would be a good
translation," but the substance of the word study generally ranged from solid to good. I particularly
enjoyed the section of derived terms.
You have a decent introduction and did a good job with this assignment. Your examples are helpful
and your translations are well done. Your reasoning is also solid. However, I wish that you would
have explained the significance of the cognates more. Additionally, I think you need a stronger
connection from “when something is made clear or looked at thoroughly” to “acknowledge.” To
6 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
acknowledge is to recognize, not necessarily to inspect thoroughly. I’m not sure how you came to
this conclusion about core meaning.
Your translation and examples were good, but you didn’t really have analysis at the end. You simply
stated the best translation. You have a lot of run-sentences, missing words, and typos. To avoid
these, proofread your work (it’s best to do so aloud).
“Over time” not “overtime.” “Overtime” is used in a ball game when the teams are tied and they
add time to the game. “Over time” means over the course of time. “Relying its meaning off of” is a
weird and convoluted phrase Gaius not Caius Your Pro Balbus translation is not clear English
Omit the first sentence in your intro. It is so broad that it has zero meaning or importance! Your
second sentence of the intro is muddled. Cicero translation is rough. Livy is pretty rough. Editing is
your friend! Hang out with such friends (editing) for a longer time before submitting essays.
Conclusion is fine.
WORD STUDY 4
• Good examples: 93
• Analysis was helpful: 94
• Overall: 93
• GRADE: 94
Written Critiques:
Wonderful word study! You explained the uses of the word extremely will, and always tied them
back to a core meaning!
A solid word study. The examples and translations are provided and the study flows nicely. I would
say that the introduction is far too short, and it has no hook or bridge to the thesis. Those
components are essential for an introduction. Fix that, and the study would be even more solid.
Excellent word study! Your translations were very clear, and I was able to find your core meaning of
discover and find throughout. Great analysis especially when you connected the tiger’s lair example
with the Catullus example. The only criticism might be that your intro was a little short. An extra
sentence or two might have developed your word a bit. Great job though!
Good job
Overall, good word study. You had good examples and your conclusion was good. However, your
introduction is rather short and needs reworking.
There doesn’t seem to be much variety in your examples--as in, I don’t see reperio as a particularly
contentious word. However, in the examples you gave, you have good analysis. Perhaps next time
you should either find examples with more variety, or else pick a different word for a word study.
Well done! You followed an interesting course to reach your conclusion, which must have taken
some patience. I suppose you discovered a lot here. At the same time, there were some points that
7 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
I wish you'd expounded more upon (if Celsus was a philosopher, why was he writing about
medicine? What makes you think that the strength of Catullus' love was unexpected?)
Wow, nice work. This is clearly researched. Nicely polished, with good analysis. My one critique is, I
think each meaning is too similar. While the English may have different word choices, the Latin still
has the same core meaning. But your conclusion does a good job summing everything up. Nice
work!
You did well on this assignment. Your translations were accurate and literal, and I appreciated that
you provided the date for each example. Although your word was not the most interesting, I loved
that you came to a well-reasoned, conclusive core meaning. Your conclusion was one of my
favorites in this group.
Your intro is very short. In addition, it reveals far too much about the rest of your paper. Your
paper, while not inaccurate or bad, is quite dull. To make it more interesting: A: use a more
interesting word, B: don’t reveal all in your intro, and C: try to use less repetitive language.
Your introduction could be little longer and more informative. The word is a little boring but you still
made the study interesting.
Make your intro your conclusion and you’ll be set: Don’t “show your whole hand” before you start
evidence and analysis. Additionally, you don’t have a conclusion paragraph. Other than this, you’ve
done a good job here!
WORD STUDY 5
• Good examples: 95
• Analysis was helpful: 91
• Overall: 93
• GRADE: 97
Written Critiques:
Very well researched word study! Your word didn’t offer a huge amount of variation, but overall it
was wonderful! I especially like the Sanskrit part - good job!
A great word study. The introduction is nice and long, with a bridge and a thesis, and the conclusion
matches up with the introduction nicely. The rest of the paragraphs are clear and flow nicely as
well. Very nice!
I don't really see how the word has a disputed meaning and feel like its a pretty clear-cut meaning.
However it was still nice and i liked all the cognates you included.
Not sure how this is supposed to be helpful…? Good job on the derivatives
This is a good word study on cinis. Your conclusion was satisfactory, and you conveyed your
meaning clearly throughout the essay. Your fourth paragraph felt like just context. You should have
brought your word into the paragraph.
8 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
This paper is pretty solid. Nice job finding Greek and Sanskrit root words, and English derivatives.
The one big criticism I have is this: translating cinis as “ashes” in your Ovid and Lucan quotes,
rather than “dead” and “ruins” would work just as well or better, so why exactly did you choose
those words when cinis is almost always translated as “ashes?”
Wow, this is impressive! I love how you talk about the Sanskrit and Proto-Indo-European roots.
That made this word study stand out. Your analysis was helpful. Two things to work on: 1) Don’t
begin each paragraph just saying “As X writes” instead, help the reader understand WHY we should
read this paragraph by setting up the idea/point. 2) Your introduction was promising, but then it got
confusing when you didn’t define the basic meaning. Nice work!
You have a well-written and concise word study, and good examples showing literal and figurative
uses. In terms of organization, I maybe would have kept the human ashes of Catullus’ brother and
Hector together, and then used your figurative meanings of a failed agreement and the ruins of
Carthage last. Also, the history of cinis prior to its Latin usage is interesting, but the focus of the
word study is how it was used by the Romans. I probably would have taken that paragraph out.
You picked a rather "boring" word and managed to find some very interesting metaphorical
meanings. It may have been better had you given more context on the Propertius passage.
Your word study is strong. You had a good introduction, nice translations, and a clear conclusion.
Unfortunately, “cinis” is a bland word, as it clearly means “ashes.” You definitely did a good job
making your study interesting, but ultimately I didn’t learn as much as I would have hoped. I’d
recommend spending a bit less time on cognates; I think you only needed one example of an old
language to make your point. Overall, however, you did a good job.
Enjoyed reading this. Now I know more about this word! Mission accomplished.
WORD STUDY 6
• Good examples: 93
• Analysis was helpful: 94
• Overall: 91
• GRADE:89- 5 point deduction failure to review ALL assigned essays = 84
Written Critiques:
You provided good use cases of the word, and explained the different meanings well. Very thorough
and well - written word study!
A word study that flows well, and has well-researched examples. The body and conclusion are all
right, but the introduction is slightly misleading- it sounds as if you are going to talk about the
English interpretations of the word. Make that clearer, and the study will turn out perfect.
Good job
9 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
Good job with levo. I liked your examples and conclusions. Next time, make sure translations are in
quotes and the Latin is italicized. Also, try not to do repeats of the same author.
In most body paragraphs, you have a lot of intro, and not nearly enough analysis. From your
examples, “to take up/off” seems like a much better translation for levo. In every paragraph, you
give a different translation of levo. However, in every one, “to take up/off” would work just as well,
so explain exactly why you chose what word to translate it. You do this in your first Cicero
paragraph, but not the others.
What a great word study! Each example was fresh and interesting, and your core meaning wrapped
up the meaning in a surprising way. I love all of the examples and usages. Your introduction needs
some work. The first sentence is filler. Also, I don’t think you introduced the word fully, just the
idea behind core meanings. Otherwise, wow!
You have a good variety of examples in your word study, and your analyses for your Horace
example made sense and was well-reasoned. I would keep derivatives for the end and focus on the
meaning of your word in your intro paragraph. Also, I felt your core meaning of “to take from” did
not sync with the usages for levo in your examples.
You provided great examples of this word, and I now have a much better understanding of levo’s
core meaning. Good job with your examples! The biggest thing that I suggest is that in your
conclusion paragraph, you don’t need to say the first two sentences. They don’t add anything
except to make it sound like you’re uncertain of the core meaning yourself.
Your core meaning was both interesting and unorthodox, which is always nice. I'm pretty sure you
got your citation format wrong though.
Your word study was excellent! You translated, reasoned, and presented each example well. Your
core meaning was accurate and well thought-out. However, my main recommendation is to avoid
fluff in your introduction, as most of what you wrote in the first paragraph is not necessary. It
should be short, maybe something like, “the Latin word levo has many English interpretations, from
physically lifting an object to lessening an emotion, which express a single core meaning.”
Your word study was good, and the conclusion was well-organized. It was also interesting how you
showed the word could be used as physically and metaphorically. Derivatives and cognates are
always appreciated though.
Omit your first two sentences in your intro. They don’t contribute anything.
Paragraph 2: explain why “it makes the most sense” to use “raises” but then you restate it as he
“takes” in the next sentence. Work on analysis a bit more intensely. Connect the dots. For example,
weaken makes less sense than something like lighten or reduce which is more in keeping with your
core meaning.
Logic: What does it mean to say the word is “used in a metaphorical way”? Do we use entirely
different vocabulary in poetry? People don’t say things like “lift one’s mood” or “raise one’s spirit”?
There isn’t a subsection in a dictionay reserved for metaphorical uses of words.
10 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
WORD STUDY 7
• Good examples: 98
• Analysis was helpful: 99
Written Critiques:
You chose a very interesting word, and did a good job flushing out the use cases and meanings in your word
study!
A well constructed word study that is quite clear. I never thought about that meaning when I
translated explicare. In any case, the body and conclusion are nice and long, but the introduction is
quite short. However, it actually works quite well to pull me in, so it is almost a good introduction.
One more sentence in there would complete it, I think. Great job!
Excellent job! I loved how you have a lot of analysis at the end of each body paragraph where you
explain your reasoning. The only criticism that I have is that you could probably add a sentence or
two to your intro.
Great word choice! I really liked your Horace unwrinkling example. Your analysis is excellent and
very understandable, with a clear core meaning. I also really liked how you “laid it all out”
chronologically. It was hard to find anything wrong to be honest, but maybe a few more sentences
in your intro would have been nice. Great job!
I really liked your word study, I thought it was going to be a bit bland but all the different ways you
showed the word being used was very interesting.
Latin first, then translation
My understanding of explicare has been greatly expanded be reading your word study. Great job!
My favorite paragraph was your second to last one, which discussed how Roman authors ended
their writings with “explicit.” That was a really neat piece of information. My best suggestion is to
split up your second-to-last paragraph, because right now it seems to just be a pile of
miscellaneous facts without a topic sentence. If you had one paragraph on how Romans ended
manuscripts and another on the English derivatives, I think that would just flow better.
Setting up the opposition between explico and plico was quite an effective device. At the same time,
your word study would likely have been better had you written about plico in the first place, since
much of your analysis depended on pointing out various meanings of plico.
Very nice. Your examples and conclusions are very comprehensive. I don’t have much to say wrong
about it except you could have done more in the introduction.
Your introduction spiked my interest when you explained how oxymoronic “explicare” is. I’d never
thought about that before. Your anyaslis is good, and I like your translations. I don’t think ‘relax’ is
a good translation for ‘un wrinkle,’ though. I don’t see how that’s any more idiomatic. In fact, I
11 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
think ‘unwrinkle’ strengthens your argument more. Also, your introduction is too short. But
otherwise, nice work!
Overall, this is very well done. You walk us through your reasoning well and arrive at a convincing
core meaning.
• Analysis was helpful: 85
Written Critiques:
Your introduction is very awkward… you keep referring to “this water,” but it’s not immediately clear
what “this water” is. In your second paragraph, you don’t explain how vasto indicates a rough and
stormy sea. I think your third paragraph would have been stronger if you pointed out how a
whirlpool is a great danger to sailors, just like the crimes of Verres were dangerous in Cicero’s
mind; merely saying that the crimes of Verres were turbulent does not make your point. In the
paragraph about the river of Lethe, you don’t explain how “river” - though clearly the right
translation - ties back up to the other senses of gurges. In the paragraph about Jupiter, I think
“stormy water” would have been a better translation than “sea,” because of the destructive force of
the water. Overall though, this words study is very well - researched. Great job!
Great word study! The introduction, body, and conclusion are all nice and clear. The introduction
indicates what the rest of the paragraph will be about, and the conclusion restates the thesis as its
supposed to. I have no idea how you found gurges, but it's an interesting word, and that's a great
word study!
Nice work! I like your introduction, it was interesting but also got the point across well. At first, I
didn’t agree with your core meaning, but as I kept reading I was more and more convinced, which
means you argued your case well. However, you need to introduce the paragraphs differently. You
set up the scene of the translation, instead set up the meaning of the word, and what it’s overall
importance is. Otherwise, wonderful!
This is a solid word study! I appreciated how you truly indicated that gurges could take on different
meanings (sea, river, waves). Your core meaning was thus well-formulated. One nitpicky comment
is that your second example of gurges as “sea” was unnecessary and didn’t add anything. But your
introduction was short and sweet, and it set you up for a great paper! Nicely done.
You definitely expanded my understanding of gurges. I loved your examples, and your analysis was
helpful. The one thing that I’m not sure came through for me, though, is your core meaning
(turbulent water), since I don’t quite see how the Lethean river is turbulent. I typically think of a
river (even more so if it’s in Hades) as a quieter body of water. So I guess I suggest maybe
tweaking your core meaning to more fully encompass each of your examples.
12 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
You have a good number of examples that really helped to establish your core meaning. Your word
study is well-reasoned, particularly the Ovid example with Neptune. “Turbulent water” worked for
most of your examples. Maybe it was the way you described it, but I didn’t get a turbulent water
feel in your Catullus example. Otherwise, I thought this was an excellent word study.
You translate "in gurgite vasto" as "on the rough sea." However, vasto means large or vast, not
rough. However, the roughness is implied since, as you say, gurgite means turbulent water. Palled
should be spelled as paled. In your fifth example you forgot a period between me and omnes. I
would have said that gurges is used to describe the river :ethe since the Lethe is commonly
associated with death. The Lethe itself is supposedly a very calm river, so I do not think your
reason fits. I would say that the core meaning of gurges, based on your examples, is "water that
brings death or destruction", not necessarily "raging water" or "turbulent water" (as I said above,
the Lethe example does not follow with these latter translations.) I also would have noted that
seawater is detrimental to drink because of its salt, and that this further supports the
"death/destruction" core meaning.
Your conclusion was a little small, it would have been nice to also see some cognates. The word was
very interesting though and I enjoyed your word study.
Your intro is a little clunky, and reads almost like a conclusion. You have little to no analysis.
Rather, you simply say “it’s best,” and move on.
Your word study was solid. You gave a variety of examples, literal and figurative, and came to a
confident and clear conclusion about the word’s meaning. However, your word wasn’t particularly
controversial, and I would have preferred if you have waited until your conclusion to reveal your
core meaning, instead of presenting it in your intro. That said, you did a good job.
Never considered the “history of water” before! Analysis is not strong. For example: What would
make you think that in a scene depicting a massive storm and shipwreck that gurgite just means
“sea” in the Aeneid? You aren’t making a good analysis here. Whirlpool is a very specific dynamic of
water behavior, why would your choice be limited to that rare phenomenon? For Ovid, again, the
scene is a massive world destroying flood so…just plain “sea”? At any rate, you get to the end and
say it means “turbulent water” when never once do you translate it as turbulent water in your
examples.
• Analysis was helpful: 82
13 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
Your third paragraph is completely wrong. Exsolvere poenas refers to the “paying of the penalty” for
the slaughter of Androgeos - I checked Mrs. Barr’s translation to make sure. Nice job bringing in
different language derivatives, and tying it together at the end!
Good work! I like your examples and you do a good job explaining what the different meanings are.
Your writing is succinct and clear. I would put that paragraph about the difference of ‘exsolvere’ and
‘solvere’ in your introduction, not haphazardly in the middle. Also, don’t jump right into your
examples in your paragraphs. Instead, set up the point of each paragraph and why we should read
it. Also, cut down your quotations a bit, they are a little long. Otherwise, nice!
I liked that you organized your word study in the historical order of the authors, although I would
have put the compound word sentence in your intro, not at the end. I also think that you could
have used an additional 1-2 examples, and. I felt that your analyses were a little short in your
explanation for each example’s meaning.
I really like how you show the word over a timeline. Great job noting that earlier usages tend to be
more literal and closer to the core meaning. That is something I've noticed too. I love how you start
your paper, but in the first sentence of your second paragraph, I would take out the "here" part and
replace it with "of these three." You don't want to reference the paper from within the paper itself.
The possessive of Plautus is Plautus's. You only withhold the s if the object is plural. You would say
cars', or cats', but you would not say dress', you would say dress's. Nothing wrong with your second
example. I would have given a bit more context as it seems that the sentence is missing a main
verb. Is it possible there is more to the sentence that you missed? For your third example, you
again refer to the paper and to the examples from inside the paper. Don't do this. It seems like
festa should be the subject of the clause. This would probably be more clear if you were to give us
more of the original sentence. I really like how you go into details about modern cognates of the
word, but I feel like you should have put a bit more time into your examples. Just a couple tweaks
would have made your paper great!
Interesting word! I really appreciated your paragraph on derivatives, that was helpful for me to see
a better picture of the core meaning. My suggestion is mostly to work on your introduction
paragraph, which seems to be a little fluffy (and I definitely struggle with this too). I just don’t think
it’s a good idea to say “so-and-so word was used differently throughout different time periods.”
Maybe try to come up with a better opening next time, if there is a next time.
It would have been better if you had a little more examples. You defined the word clearly for each
example and you concluded nicely. Also, you slipped up a few times when talking about the age the
authors lived in. For example, you said Plautus was the oldest author, when you meant the oldest
author you cited.
Overall, a good word study. I like how you mention the dates for the different uses of exsolvo. That
usage makes the introduction and conclusion great, and ties together the entire study. I would work
on lengthening the examples in the study. They seemed a bit short, and could stand some more
filling out. In any case, good job.
You did an excellent job connecting various uses of your word in your conclusion. Your last
paragraph was nearly perfect in my mind. However, a recurring issue in your word study was that
you continually wrote that your word had different meanings. But there is no first meaning, no
original meaning, and no changed meaning – just one meaning, with different *uses*. That said,
14 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
your examples did help me understand the word’s various uses, and your explanation of cognates
was helpful.
You have very little analysis of your quotes, you simply say what it means at the end of each body
paragraph, without trying to make any type of argument as to how you got to that conclusion. Your
word is more than a tad boring. Good job on finding Corsican derivative, which is a language I’ve
never even heard of.
Your word study was good. It was a bit of a boring word though considering you said the meaning
in the introduction only for it to be the exact same thing in the conclusion.
Your word study was short (maybe add more examples of translations next time?) but to the point.
I appreciated your use of derivatives; it helped prove your core meaning! My main comment is that
I feel like you need more substance. Your paragraph about exsolvo being a compound word did not
add anything, and some of your analysis seemed a little forced. You clearly understand how to
create a core meaning (which is great!) but you need some working applying and analyzing that
core meaning.
YOu define your word in your first sentence. That should be saved for your conclusion. Do not add
meaningless phrases like it “was used differently throughout different time periods” when you have
just defined it according to what your dictionary has stated. Based on your intro, you have set up
an essay on a dictionary definition, not a word study.
START by explaining the two parts of the word ex+solvo.
Your observations in each example don’t show analysis. Choices seem rather random and defy the
context.
• Analysis was helpful: 84
Written Critiques:
In your second Catullus example, you don’t demonstrate why “to take” is a better choice than “to
lead” - all you say is that “to take” lines up with the other uses of the word in the past, which
doesn’t make much sense. Overall though, great work!
A good word study. The body paragraphs are long and flow right, and the conclusion makes a
convincing argument. However, the introduction is too short. There is very little room for a thesis,
bridge and hook in two sentences, especially if the two sentences talk about what the word means,
which should generally be avoided. Overall, good word study.
15 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
I love the word choice! I was wondering about the meaning when we translated Catullus, so I
enjoyed reading your piece! You do a good job finding the core meaning. But don’t list your
principal parts as the opening. It doesn’t look professional. Instead, ease us into the essay. Your
first example (Virgil) needs more explanation and introduction. Otherwise, wow!
I thought that you reasoned your first and second examples well, however, in your third example, I
think that “going to where your girl used to take you” is interchangeable with lead, guide, or take
and I don’t think this example showed a different interpretation of duco. Taking someone
somewhere is the same as leading or guiding. Your Caesar example is incomplete because your
analysis is missing. I don’t see how the core meaning of duco can really be interpreted to mean
anything other than “lead.” Using synonyms for duco in English (like take) doesn’t get to its core
meaning in Latin.
I’m so glad you picked this word! I have considered doing it for a word study before, but that was
just not where I was led (see what I did there?). But you provided great examples! I definitely
understand this word better and especially appreciate your core meaning. I guess my suggestion is
that if you are going to mention in your introduction that duco comes from the Proto-Italic “duok,”
you maybe want to elaborate on that later in your paper.
You did a good job finding the core meaning, but I don't think that your paper would help someone
else find it easily. Many of your examples are vague and confusing. You should have said
"translated as" in your first sentence instead of just "translated." It just sounds better. Maybe you
could have found a bit more content for your opening paragraph? Why is there a comma between
"Trojan War" and "and the ancestry of the Romans"? The conjunction is combining them, so why
would you separate them with a comma? In all of your parentheticals (the things you put after the
quotes), the period should go outside the parenthesis, not inside. You don't incorporate the "modo"
into your first translation. Where does it fit in? Maybe giving more context would help us to better
understand how to translate it. Maybe you could also explain why "to lead" is the best translation in
this case? Nice job linking the second example to a common English phrase. That will really help
people understand it. You say that your third example "erases the possibility of a change in
meaning over time," but you don't give any support to this claim. Why would this example do this?
In your fourth example you can take out the "as the name suggests" part, since it doesn't
contribute anything to the sentence. There is a massive amount of space between the Latin and the
English translation in your fourth example. This probably just a mistake, but one you need to fix.
You also reference what Caesar says in later sentences but don't really tell us what he says. Once
again, more context would have made this a lot better.
You have a nice, concise introduction. Also, the body of your word study is very well done, with
good examples, translations, and excellent reasoning. However, your conclusion could be stronger.
“Take” generally communicates “taking possession”; although you can fit the word into each
translation, that doesn’t necessarily mean that “take” is the word’s core meaning. Instead, each
example shows “direction” or “guiding.”
You have good examples and explanations, but you could have done better. For example, please
add more context. Also, the exclamation mark is not to be used in scholarly writing. This is because
the writer should not rely on a mark to add emphasis but should choose their words carefully.
Your final paragraph has great analysis, but I wish the rest of it was of that quality. Your intro
paragraph did not add anything, nor did it make me want to read your study. You had lots of good
information; your word choice in duco just sabotaged you a bit. At its core, duco means “to lead,”
16 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
and though your word study offers a different option, it didn’t work for me. You said that Cicero was
“confusing,” but I found myself a bit confused reading this.
Your introduction is a little underwhelming. You also have barely any analysis for the first example
and just says what the translation is. To me, your word study didn't seem to flow well and was
placed in blocks.
Duco is the very definition of a boring word -you had it in first semester Latin. What’s your citation
for this word being proto-Italic? If you define the word in the thesis, what’s there to talk about?
Based on your intro, you have set up an essay on a dictionary definition, not a word study. Your
observations in each example don’t show analysis. Choices seem random – where the discussion?
Set the word in context and lead us through your reasoning. Your decision to give the core meaning
of “to take” isn’t persuasive – connect the dots and USE it in your analysis and translation if you
aim to convince us it is the core meaning.
WORD STUDY 11
• Good examples: 93
• Analysis was helpful: 92
• Overall: 90
• GRADE: 85
Written Critiques:
I like your introduction, but I would like to add that poets like Horace and Vergil very much liked
farms and the farmer’s life (Vergil even wrote a brilliant series of poems called the Georgics, the
name being derived from the Greek word γεωργω, which means “I farm”). You wrote a very
interesting and well - thought out word study! Great job!
I like how you set up the tension between agriculture and rich poets. You piqued my interest with
your well-written introduction, and summed everything up in a stellar conclusion. One small thing,
don’t jump right into your example with “as X writes,” instead, explain the point of the paragraph,
why we should keep reading! Otherwise, this is really impressive.
AWESOME OPENING PARAGRAPH!! one punctuation error right at the beginning but WOW DID YOU
DO A GOOD JOB! First example is great! You used a contraction in the second to last sentence
though. Try to avoid those. Nice job with Carpe Diem. No comment. I love your final example,
especially how you relate the grasping of the apple to the grasping of opportunity. That was
incredible! l Amazing final paragraph! I would suggest that you remove the word "likely" from your
"The core meaning is, therefore,..." It just gives it a small feeling of uncertainty. Taking out the
"likely" would add a huge boost of confidence to the final paragraph and make it perfect!
I must say, carpo is one strange word. The word study illuminated the difference is uses between
prose and poetry, which is quite interesting. Apart from that, the introduction, body, and conclusion
all flowed nicely. I would give this one an A+, and I can't find anything wrong with with it. It even
uses dates! very nice.
17 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
I’m not sure that you quite connected the dots with “harvest” and “seize.” I can see where you are
headed but it could be laid out a little more clearly perhaps. I did appreciate how you provided the
dates for your authors.
The first sentence is excellent, but the rest of your intro is not necessary. Your examples were very
helpful – I definitely feel like I have a better understanding of this word! I would recommend being
more careful with the use of the word “meaning.” (There isn’t a “metaphorical meaning,” only a
metaphorical “use.”) I would loved a short discussion about cognates!
You did a pretty good and straightforward job with this word. The one big criticism that I have is
that you left out some of the more obscure and strange translations that I saw in Liddell and
Scott’s, which would have been interesting.
You have a good intro comparing the use of carpo by farmers and poets. Your “harvest/seize the
day” example was well explained, and your summary and how you arrived at your core meaning
was very clear. I would have used the “harvesting plants” example first as it is a literal translation
and would make your metaphorical examples flow better. This was a really great word study!
You seemed a little unsure with your conclusion by saying the core meaning is likely harvest,
personally i don't think i would have said that was the core meaning. However your study was
enjoyable.
Your intro paragraph was far too long, and it did not add anything to your word study. That said, I
appreciated your translations and your analysis. You seem to understand the idea of a word study,
but it was not as well executed as I would have hoped. Carpo does not seem to have a variety of
meanings – in a sense, “to harvest” and “to seize” do not seem significantly different. You had the
elements of a great essay, but your word didn’t quite follow through, in my opinion.
Your word was an interesting choice, but you didn’t include any examples from recent weeks. You
introduction could have been worked on.
Intro: I don’t understand what you mean by agricultural and poetic meanings. There aren’t
categories of meanings for words. This isn’t how language works. If a word means pluck or harvest,
it still means pluck or harvest when used by farmers or by poets or by farming poets.
Slim down your thesis and then work toward a clean clear writing style (work on things like
“considering the common seeking of innovative metaphors by Roman poets.” [This is both my poetic
and agricultural way of saying: work on the quality of your academic prose which is a bit
muddy!]
Paragraph 2 – Let me be clear: one can use a word IN a metaphor. One can use a word AS a
farmer. One can even compose metaphorical poems as a farmer (such as Ovid and Vegil). This does
not render three meanings for the same word.
Your analysis is very thin.
Conclusion: you mention the word means “plow”? where?!
The word simply means pluck, like you would when taking an apple, an opportunity, a moment.
18 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
WORD STUDY 12
• Good examples: 87
• Analysis was helpful: 84
Written Critiques:
In your second paragraph, you don’t ever close the quotations for your English translation. I like the
many examples you give, but since your first four examples all have the exact same word meaning,
some of these could be condensed. Perhaps, with reference to celestial bodies, Cicero is talking
about an eclipse? You still haven’t provided any other meaning of umbra except for shadow, albeit
the causes and locations of the shadows are differing - in the last few paragraphs you talk about the
meanings as ghosts. So overall, I can tell immediately that you put a lot - and I mean a lot - of
work and time and effort into this Word Study… and congratulations and great job for that! You’re a
great writer stylistically, and you communicated your thoughts very clearly. Next though, maybe
pick a word with more variation in meaning, and then devote all that effort into crafting a word
study around it. Still though, wonderful job!
A very nice word study. The body flows well, and the introduction is great, with a hook, thesis, and
bridge. However, the last paragraph which might be the conclusion seems rather tacked on, and
does not restate the thesis in the introduction. The word study is also quite long. I would cut out
the less necessary examples to keep readers interested and delete the final paragraph altogether,
and instead draw a clear conclusion.
Great job with all the examples you gave! I can tell you put a lot of work into this! My
recommendation is for you to not put the English derivatives in your conclusion.
I really liked your word study but you did combine some of the paragraphs of different translations
and analysis together which can be a little confusing at bits. Your conclusion was also very nice.
I’d recommend staying within the recommended maximum of 1000 words and 8 examples. I also
think that the Latin you quote could be shorter, focusing on your specific word (e.g., your first
example could start with “I will always sing” and end with “under the dense shade”). Then you have
space in each paragraph to explain the reasoning for your translation. (For the first example, you
could explain that branches cast shadows, so a bird singing under branches would necessarily be in
the “shade.”) That said, I absolutely loved how you explained the context of each example. This
added interest to your study and helped me follow your examples.
The word you chose could have been better, since I didn’t really see any ambiguities in the
translations. A lot of your paragraphs were split almost randomly and should have been more
organized. For example, there should be one example per paragraph.
Wow, this is an impressive word study. First off, all of the meanings are really unique, which made
this a pleasure to read. Secondly, you do a great job finding many different meanings but tying it all
together with the core word, ‘shadow’. However, you are extremely wordy. Cut down your poetry
quotations, and cut out the 2nd and 3rd examples, they don’t help you explain your point about the
19 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
meaning, it’s merely ‘shadow’ reiterated. Don’t squeeze two examples into one paragraph. Don’t
put derivatives after your conclusion, put it before.
You MUST have writing after ALL of your quotes. This is VERY important. In this space after the
quote you A: explain why you chose that particular translation of your word, B: hint at how this
relates to your thesis/conclusion, and C: tie it in to the next paragraph if the following intro
sentence does not. This space is very important. You have a lot of wasted opportunity by just
having open ended quotes. Other than that, you have actually done a really good job, and it
appears that you have put a lot of effort into this paper.
Your word study was so long!! I can tell that you put a lot of effort into it, but the length made it
difficult for me to focus. For instance, you used 4 examples to illustrate a point (umbra refers to
shade) that could have been made in just one. I think the key here is knowing what to put into your
essay. I am SO impressed by your research and knowledge, but not everything you learned needed
to be here.
Let’s see a bit more discussion about how you choose your translation after the first example
(Catullus). I see you have the same issue with nearly each one. The Latin context is the evidence
you must use to discuss how the word is employed by the authors. You aren’t making much
analysis or maybe there’s not much controversy with this word. At any rate, you give us plenty of
examples but there’s not much there to chew on – really just a lot of decent examples of shade.
WORD STUDY 13
• Good examples: 91
• Analysis was helpful: 91
Written Critiques:
Overall, good word study! You researched and wrote it well, as well as provided good examples of
your word.
I liked this word study, as it flowed well, brought me useful insights into two very similar words, and had a full introduction and conclusion. I can't really find anything wrong with this one, so great job! Keep doing what you're doing.
I really liked how you showed it meant more than simply 'flow out' like disappear. The introduction
is a bit repetitive though with the definition of the word.
I think the first three sentences of your introduction are excellent, but the last four sentences are unnecessary. I’d recommend keeping your intro more concise. I loved the context that you provided for each example, and the reasoning for your translations was the best I’ve read so far in this round
of word studies. That said, I’d recommend being very discerning with when you use the term
“meaning” (which in this assignment should refer only to a single, true, core meaning). There is no “basic meaning,” “nuanced meaning,” or “range of meanings” – only different “uses.”
The core meaning should not be something that you get from a dictionary and then use to justify your translations. It should be something that you try to prove to us with your translations over the course of your paper. Derivatives would be useful in this paper.
20 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
You had good examples and translations, but your conclusions weren’t satisfactory as you didn’t
come up with the core. Also, keep the translations in quotes and the Latin in italics.
You have a really interesting word study and also the importance of the preposition ex. Your examples showed a diverse usage of the word and your core meaning connected them all together in your summation. Great example of Cicero’s concern of being forgotten by his friend! I don’t think it is necessary to cite Cassell’s in your definition, and some derivatives would have rounded out your word study at the end.
You seem to have fallen a little bit into the pitfall that I fell into last time, where you seem to be more focused on defending your choices of translations instead of just aiming for the central meaning. Both of us should probably work on that. :-) I especially like how you clear explanations and how you set up each passage.
Your intro paragraph was long and somewhat full of fluff. You seem well-researched, and I appreciate your translations! However, I don’t see an example that cannot mean “to flow.” It seems
like, in all the places, “to flow” works just as well as escape, forget, or disappear. I think that the key thing this word study is missing is a truly core meaning. “To flow out of” is a core meaning, but then you list several other meanings as well, which doesn’t quite work.
Oh no. Another person who has one garage to park “metaphorical” uses of a word and a different
one to park the “symbolical” uses. Listen carefully. We humans use words IN metaphors. We use
them IN represtative depictions. We use them IN literal descriptions. The reason we can use them IN all these places? Because they don’t change much, regardless of location of use. Symbolically, metaphorically, physically, mentally: still means FLOW OUT. Other than odd distinctions for a word that maintains a core meaning perfectly, you did fine here.
WORD STUDY 14
• Good examples: 76
• Analysis was helpful: 74
• Overall: 70
• GRADE: 75 and then 10 point deduction for failure to review peers = 65
Written Critiques:
Make sure not to forget the formatting rules! Your word study is far too brief, and you don’t really
tie it together with a core meaning at the end.
I like that you provide context for each example, for example, by explaining that Lepidus lost an
easy battle. That said, your word study has two main issues. First, your word study has missing
elements: less than the 500-word minimum, a missing citation, sparse reasoning about your
translation choices, and punctuation errors. Secondly, your translations are not literal. In your
second example, it would be better to keep infinitives as infinitives and translate verb tenses
accurately (see Chap. 33 of Wheelock’s). In your last example, you should translate “tam etsi nil
fecit” word-for-word (maybe “nevertheless even if you did nothing”) instead of paraphrasing it as
“simply.”
I think you gave up on your word study. While I agree that perdo was not the best choice, you have
some good information in there! Had you not included your title that was derogatory towards your
own writing, I might have thought that you just struggled. But it seems like you gave up. There are
21 Word Study #2 Latin 3b, 2021
a few redemptive qualities – good translations, and the last paragraph offers some good analysis.
But I really wished that you had at least tried. Even if you felt it was too late to change words,
make the best of it! I think you could have come up with something better than this.
It can be hard to find the perfect word. It’s helpful to spend a few days choosing different words
and their translations, and checking to see if they will work with the core meaning, and backup
words with notes are helpful when you run out of time. That said, your intro is interesting but odd
to visualize. Your examples are all pretty similar, and your last example about halitosis seems
plausible, but since a person’s words can also be destructive when they open their mouth, you
would need to prove that Catullus wasn’t going for a different meaning with perdere. Overall, you
probably needed to look more deeply for other nuanced examples of your word.
Maybe keep your word study struggles to yourself in the future. I think you have some really good
stuff here, but a couple things are holding you back. 1: Your paper feels only partly finished. It
seems from your title that you were very tight on time, but you just need to write more. A lot of
quotes are missing analysis or intro. 2: you have given us three instances of perdo being used in a
figurative sense, but you have not come close to proving that perdo is an exclusively figurative
word. And 3: The missing punctuation, extra spacing between paragraphs, and typos all make this
paper annoying to read. As I’ve said before, I really wish we had a second draft for our papers,
because I think that this one has potential for a very interesting one.
Obviously the study was too short but it was an attempt. I like the idea that you were trying to get
at about it being more figurative.
So, I think your word choice was good! And good job with the translations. Word Studies are hard,
but that doesn’t mean you should give up. Even if the meaning isn’t working out, you should still
work hard at making your analysis good. I wouldn’t have used the examples of smashing the
bookcase, I think that just confused you. Instead, weave that idea of metaphorical vs. physical into
your analysis. Also, you didn’t end up telling us your core meaning, and you forgot to source the
Catullus passage. There was no real conclusion or introduction. Good start, but it needed a lot more
work.
You had some good examples and translations, but your word study needed some more work. Don’t
put the example at the beginning of the paragraphs, give us some more context, and next time
have a real title. Also, it would have been better if you had kept to explaining instead of using the
examples of the text you translated into Latin.
Your reasoning and analysis was not especially helpful for me. There seems to be good potential for
your word, but I think it could have been better developed. However, I did think that your
distinction between perdo and deleo an interesting part of the word study.
Yowch, you must have been on the clock. Actually, I found the idea of your word study quite
interesting, but there are a number of issues. first, the good news. The introduction is a breath of
fresh air from all the identical introductions I have read for the past 30 minutes, and actually makes
me interested to read this, even if I were not a latin scholar. However, there aren't enough
examples, and the conclusion is nonexistent. I think maybe planning time better (you have my
sympathies and I know the feeling) would improve your word study greatly.