The Virgil Mosaic which is featured on the cover of 6th and 7th edition of Wheelock's Latin
Wheelock's Latin (originally titled Latin and later Latin: An Introductory Course Based on Ancient Authors) is a comprehensive beginning Latintextbook, originally written in 1956 by Frederic M. Wheelock and subsequently revised since the 1995 fifth edition by Richard A. LaFleur, the book is marketed as a middle ground between user-friendly and intensive Latin courses.
Chapters introduce related grammatical topics and assume little or no prior knowledge of Latin grammar or language. Each chapter has a collection of translation exercises created specifically for the book, most drawn directly from ancient sources. Those from Roman authors (Sententiae Antiquae—lit., "ancient sentences" or "ancient thoughts") and the reading passages that follow may be either direct quotations or adapted paraphrases of the originals. Interspersed in the text are introductory remarks on Ancient Roman culture. At the end of each chapter is a section called "Latina Est Gaudium — Et Utilis!", which means "Latin Is Fun — And Useful!" This section introduces phrases that can be used in conversation (such as "Quid agis hodie?", meaning "How are you today?"), and in particular comments on English words and their relation to Latin.
Originally written by Frederic M. Wheelock in 1956 and published by Barnes & Noble College Outline Series, the textbook was revised and updated by Richard A. LaFleur in 1995 with the 5th edition. The book is currently in its seventh edition.
The 6th edition has been translated into Korean (2005), with a Korean translation of the 7th edition pending; the 7th edition has been translated into Chinese (2017).
Content
Wheelock's Latin seventh edition introduces with the following chapters:
Foreward — An anecdote on the Wheelock family and a welcome to the book
Preface — An introduction to book's chapter structure and education philosophy
The Revised Edition — An explanation of new features of the seventh edition and a final note to students and instructors
Intrōdvctiō (Introduction)
The Position of the Latin Language in Linguistic History — An etymological discussion of Latin's influence and place in the Indo-European languages
Wheelock's Latin seventh edition contains forty chapters in all (listed as "capvt" followed by its roman numeral in the textbook); the chapter titles are listed below:
Vocābvla (Vocabulary): English-Latin — A dictionary of English words and their Latin translations
Vocābvla (Vocabulary): Latin-English — A dictionary of Latin words and their English translations
Abbreviātiōnēs (Abbreviations) — A list of abbreviations used in the book
Index — an alphabetical index of topics
Location of the Sententiae Antīqvae (Ancient Sentences) — Citations for the Sententiae Antīqvae of the previous chapters
About the Authors — A brief biography of Frederic M. Wheelock and Richard A. LaFleur
Credits — Citations and credits of used works, such as art and grafitti, in previous chapters
Publication history
Wheelock F. M. - Latin. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1956. xxxiii & 301 p.College Outline Series #104. $1.95. Prof. Wheelock (1902-1987) was Professor of Humanities at Cazenovia Junior College at the time of publication.
Wheelock F. M. - Latin: An introductory course based on ancient authors. 2nd ed. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1960. xxxiii & 377 p.
Wheelock F. M. - Latin: An introductory course based on ancient authors. 3rd ed. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1963. xxxiii & 457 p. The Barnes & Noble Outline Series #104. Prof. Wheelock was Professor Emeritus of Classics at the University of Toledo at the time of publication.
Wheelock F. M. - Wheelock's Latin Grammar. 4th ed., revised. New York: HarperCollins, 1992. xxvi & 418 p.
Wheelock F. M. and R. A. LaFleur. Wheelock's Latin 5th Edition. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. xli & 498 p.
Wheelock F. M. and R. A. LaFleur. Wheelock's Latin 6th Edition. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. l & 510 p.
Wheelock F. M. and R. A. LaFleur. Wheelock's Latin 6th Edition, Revised. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. xlviii & 512 p.
Wheelock F. M. and R. A. LaFleur. Wheelock's Latin 7th Edition (The Wheelock's Latin Series). New York: HarperCollins, 2011. xliv + 564 p. ISBN978-0061997228.