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Rebilius Cruso: Robinson Crusoe, in Latin; a book to lighten tedium to a learner cover

Rebilius Cruso: Robinson Crusoe, in Latin; a book to lighten tedium to a learner

Chapter 35: Edition notes
By Daniel Defoe
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About This Book

The work offers an abridged Latin retelling of a seafaring narrative in which a man survives a shipwreck and lives alone on a remote island, improvising shelter, tools, and a raft, salvaging supplies, and organizing daily labor, worship, and study. It follows his exploration of the island, encounters with other human groups, and the gradual creation of agriculture, dwellings, and crafts. Framed by a teacher's preface, the text intentionally employs clear, modern Latin and broad everyday vocabulary to make extensive reading approachable for learners rather than to reproduce classical style.

Edition notes

The original eBook as transcribed by Mark Orton & Distributed Proofreaders is presented here mostly untouched. The only changes made in the present document are a layout revamp, the addition of links to individual sections instead of whole chapters, and the addition of links to the glossary of the first occurrence of each concerned word.

This document also includes an updated spelling version, as stated at the start of this document, that was initially published in an independent eBook.

Robinson Crusoe is a book that was adapted numerous times into Latin, and it may be difficult to understand where each version comes from. Here is a small genealogy :

  • Robinson Crusoe, by Defoe (1719) : the original English version
    • Robinson der Jüngere by Campe, German (1779) : cuts off many digressions, partially rewrites the story, and presents it as a story being told in a family, with many dialogues and moral teachings
      • Robinson Secundus by Lieberkühn (1785)
        • Robinson Secundus by Gedike (1802) : corrections
      • Fata Robinsonis Crusoëi, then Robinson Crusoëus by Goffaux (1807) : cuts off all the family part and keeps only the main story
        • The Story of Robinson Crusoe in Latin by Barnett (1907) : improves the text and cuts off many moral passages
        • Robinson Crusœus by Avellanus (1896) : corrections and notes added
      • Robinsonius Minor by Nagel (1823)
    • Rebilius Cruso by Newman (1884) : rewriting from the general ideas, and cutting off the digressions, with an emphasis on vocabulary
    • Vita discriminaque Robinsonis Crusoei by Avellanus (1928) : no version is currently available online but it appears that it starts as a plain translation and then goes on as its own story when Robinson arrives on the island

In the process of producing the updated version, the following errors were spotted and corrected (only in the updated version)

  • 15 relliquias → reliquias
  • 25 sustentata → sustentatam
  • 33 quator → quatuor
  • 51 consuctudine → consuetudine
  • 52 cannonas → cannones
  • 74 tanquem → tanquam
  • 118 arcorali → ancorali
  • 126 cos → eos
  • 130 totu → tota
  • 180 pictatis → pietatis
  • The missing number of section 192 was added
  • 203 plautandis → plantandis
  • 229 exsecro → exsecror
  • 230 persequunter → persequuntur
  • 247 arborem ūsūs → arborum ūsūs
  • 256 humeros → humeris
  • 259 manioces → maniocas (further changed into mandiocās, the stem mandioc- being also used, albeit once, but closer to the etymon)
  • 273 quodem → quodam
  • 304 colloquinur → colloquimur
  • 314 coxisso → coxisse
  • 345 eredebat → credebat
  • 347 forenus → foremus
  • 368 dicitis → dicis
  • 382 cannonas → cannones
  • 397 mirantibua → mirantibus
  • 404 gossipii → gossypii
  • 407 otidas → otides
  • 410 procedento → procedente
  • 420 excolebatur → excolebantur

Note: the number of section 378 is still missing, as the context doesn’t allow to clearly identify its intended position with certainty.