Re: memorizing

op 02-07-2002 02:21 schreef onco111 op dhd5@...:

> 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! This is especially
> troublesome when the grammar is largely consolidated, real reading
> starts, and the vocabulary really starts to grow. I'm surely not at
> that point yet with Pali, but the day will come soon enough.
>
> I wonder how everyone else deals with vocabulary. I would like to
> find a way to avoid looking up the same word six or ten times before
> learning it. Maybe there is no other way...

Dear Dan,
Patience. First I found Sutta reading not too difficult, then I started the
commentaries, had to look up words all the time, almost desperate, but after
some months you see it gets better. In the context it is easier to remember.
Then the subcommentary, even more difficult, but evenso it is a matter of
persevering. It is worth it. Makes all the difference, so much gets lost in
the english translation. Reading is much more pleasant when you have more
vocabulary. In the car when Lodewijk is driving I get my notebook and look
at words again, just like I used to do in olden days, have accumulated this.
Or when my father talks too lengthy in a restaurant I look surrepticiously
at my notes, believing he does not notice it, but I get scolded by Lodewijk.
My lack of ppatience. I also underline in my Buddhadatta dict words that I
have come across with, to see how stupid I am.
Sometimes you may not find a word when it starts with a: this is a negation,
take it off and you will find the word. They do not give it with the
negation very often.
I just saw Jim's comments, there are still puzzles, even in one sentence. I
study it again.

Dear Jim,
I looked up in Warder Ch 17, tad and ta.m, a particle: that, then, so. It is
illative, but what is that? Thus, as you say, ida.m goes with sacca.m. ta.m
is just a particle at the beginning.
Translation could start: Then indeed this ariyan truth...
I am not sure the ii of gaminii is in this case: usually or habitually
leading to.
At the end there is the <me> untranslated: by me? Strange that it comes
after the quote.
Nina.