Re: study books

Hi Dan,

--- In palistudy@..., "onco111" <dhd5@...> wrote:
> Thanks for the suggestions, Nina. I'm not sure yet what to do
about
> vocabulary. I just remember memorizing many, long lists of
words in
> my Greek (and Chinese) days, and then finding that I'd
forgotten most
> of them within a few days - frustrating!
......

Just checked in and good to see you with your keen interest in
Pali. I'm a very poor Pali student (so I usually keep quiet here),
but by `coincidence', just a week ago took my new paperback
Warder to the pool to start one chapter a day (ha, ha..lasted for 3
days;-))

Anyway with the first summer in a very, very long time with no
teaching, no moving house and no serious health probs, I'm
trying to at least spend half an hour a day on it....like you around
ch 5 now. I've been encouraged greatly on dsg and here on psg
on the need for some basics like you.

I also have several yrs of Latin background (no Greek) and
remember how patiently my father (who had been a classics
scholar) used to help me translate Caesar and Virgil while I'd
complain about the uselessness of studying dead
languages....hmm...

In the late 70s in London I started studying Warder with a small
group, but never did much homework (I had a demanding job in
a psychiatric centre at the time and I've always been good at
finding excuses to avoid it) and got to the point as you mention,
where I spent all my time checking the index for the vocabulary. I
gave up and really only remember the very special group I
studied with and kept in touch with for a long time.

I threw out the book and notes in one of my many moves. Now
I'm encouraged by you all to do a little better in self-study
mode....my problem is like yours - forgetfulness...but I'm not
letting it be a concern...I just treat it as a game and I think, like
Rob, one has to approach it in a way that's fun or seems
relevant. With Cantonese, Jon's also been a perfectionist (no
surprise), while I have a bit more of Rob's `cowboy' `use it or
lose it' approach ...Going back to study foundations (i.e grammar
in Warder) is a real test of my patience;-) I'm not writing any
notes this time, but attempting to learn a few declensions (as we
used to do in Latin days).  I'll probably be glad when my students
return to give me an excuse to break;-)

I also like using the hardcopy Rhys Davids & Stede dict. (a gift to
us from PTS!) Given time, I could browse and follow up refs for
hours.....we also have the Childers one somewhere..(probably in
Jon's office). Like Nina, I'm seriously computer challenged and
changing the toner is an achievement for me too. With a mac I
don't have the Andy Shaw Pali conversion thingy, so appreciate if
you and Rob post the slabs of Pali converted already along with
translations here. Look f/w to any of yr translation Qs and Jim's
As and any Warder tips of Nina's. Let's also encourage each
other to keep up w/Warder.

Sarah
=====

p.s. "3. "pa.tipadaa" -- why the long "a" at the end? PTS dictionary
(on-
line) only gives "pa.tipada". Surely it's not nominative plural."

I believe  pat.tipadaa is nom f sg
(we haven't got to it in Warder but I also refer to another helpful
small book with some helpful grammar tables at the back called
"Pali Buddhist Texts' by Rune Johansson  which we also used to
use in the London classes (and amazingly didn't get thrown out).