12 Days of Christmas (For Quizmonster)

[shybearuk]

Further to your answer about the origin of the partridge in a peartree (see History and Myth), I was wondering if the entire song is made up of misheard Latin, or just the first stanza.

[Quizmonster]

As far as I know, Shy, it was only the one line. Once I'd looked at your question, I started trying to put some of the other lines into Latin - at which I am no expert, believe me (VIth Form level, half a century ago)! - with little success.

[shybearuk]

Thanks QM. Can I ask where you found that one line? I tried to do some research on the 'net to see if I coud find out myself, but couldn't find anything containing that phrase at all in Latin.

[Quizmonster]

Shy, 'Parturition', in English, means the act of giving birth, from the Latin verb 'parturire'. 'Apert', in archaic English, meant 'open', from the Latin adjective 'apertus'. Obviously, then, the makings of 'she gave birth in the open' (in Latin) are there or thereabouts.

Thinking of my original 'apertuit' in the cold light of day, I can see problems:-

a. I've no idea where I got the opening letter 'a' from, given that the root word starts with a 'p'. I suspect I just echoed the initial five letters of the other word 'aperto'!

I've also, clearly, forgotten how to conjugate '-ire' verbs. It's quite possible that third person singular past of 'parturire' is 'parturat', 'parturiat' or whatever. I did confess earlier that my Latin was rusty at best!

Other than that, the Xmas-partridge/clerical-chant connection was just one of those "things I seem always to have known." I have no idea where that 'knowledge' came from, though. All I can assure you of is the fact that I didn't just make it up. Sorry about the confusion and my inability to really clarify it. ("Is there a classicist in the house?!" he cried.)

[shybearuk]

Your Latin is a lot better than mine, QM. The best I can manage these days is Amo, Amas, Amas, Amamus, Amatis, Amant and Fui, Fuisti, Fuit, Fuimus, Fuistis, Fuerunt (and I STILL can never remember what tense Fui...Fuerunt are in, although I have a feeling that they're past participle, which means absolutely nothing to me any more). Amazing how much you lose if you don't use it, isn't it?

[gazzawazza]

I'm guessing here as I do not know latin at all, but in spanish fui, fuiste, fue etc. would be used in the preterite, which is the simple past, as in "I went, you went, he/she/it went" (from the verb "ir - to go,") or "I was, you were, it was" from "ser - to be." Being latin in origin there may be a link but I'm sure Quizzy will clarify.

[pollymere]

The 12 Days of christmas were a way of Christians to celebrate without singing Carols. The partridge in a pear tree represents Christ on the Cross. Somehwere I have the meaning of all odf it. Ones I can remember include: 4 calling birds - the four gospels.