Thursday, April 8, 2010

Rana Una et Altera Iuxta Viam (Camerarius)

SOURCE: Fabulae Aesopicae by the great 16th-century scholar Ioachim Camerarius in a 1702 reprint at GoogleBooks. This is number 83 in the collection. For more information and other versions of this fable, see the links list for Perry 69.

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons or accent marks - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)


MACRONS. Here is the text with macrons:

Rānae duae vīcīna loca incolēbant, altera palūdem profundam, altera lacūnulam iuxtā viam, in quā modicum aquae substitierat. Tum illa palūdis inhabitātrix hortārī alteram, ad sē ut commīgrāret, ubī multō tūtiōrem vītam dēgere licēret. Haec vērō negāre sē posse āvellī ā cōnsuētō domiciliō atque locō. Paulō post, nihil metuentem plaustrī rotae contrīvērunt.


ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with ecclesiastical accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Ranae duae vicína loca incolébant, áltera palúdem profúndam, áltera lacúnulam iuxta viam, in qua módicum aquae substitíerat. Tum illa palúdis inhabitátrix hortári álteram, ad se ut commigráret, ubi multo tutiórem vitam dégere licéret. Haec vero negáre se posse avélli a consuéto domicílio atque loco. Paulo post, nihil metuéntem plaustri rotae contrivérunt.


UNMARKED TEXT. Here is the unmarked text - after practicing with the marked text that you prefer, you should not have any trouble with the unmarked text:

Ranae duae
vicina loca incolebant,
altera
paludem profundam,
altera
lacunulam iuxta viam,
in qua
modicum aquae substitierat.
Tum illa paludis inhabitatrix
hortari alteram,
ad se ut commigraret,
ubi multo tutiorem vitam
degere liceret.
Haec vero
negare
se posse avelli
a consueto domicilio atque loco.
Paulo post,
nihil metuentem
plaustri rotae
contriverunt.



Here is an illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website - see the poor frog under the wheel: