WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
The story of Robinson Crusoe in Latin cover

The story of Robinson Crusoe in Latin

Chapter 54: Transcriber’s notes
By Joachim Heinrich Campe
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

Children & Young Adult ReadingClassics of Literature

About This Book

The narrative follows a seafarer whose craving for travel leads to a wreck and prolonged isolation on a remote island. He survives by applying practical ingenuity: fashioning shelter, tools, clothing, and food supplies, domesticating animals, and enduring illness and loneliness. Terrified by traces of other humans, he later rescues and befriends a local companion, exchanges language and skills, and together they repel hostile raiders and prepare a vessel to leave. Presented in accessible Latin with simplified constructions and chapter divisions, the retelling emphasizes practical resourcefulness, moral reflection, and reading practice for learners.

Transcriber’s notes

Notes for the first edition

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

Some changes were made in the original text, as follows :

  • In splenunca habitat → In spelunca habitat
  • assuefacerat → assuefecerat
  • tandem ille adgredi → tandem ille aggredi (consistence with the rest of the text)
  • ad lanam mulgendam → ad lamam mulgendam
  • utrumque statim agressus → utrumque statim aggressus
  • fasciculo saggittarum → fasciculo sagittarum
  • per densisimas frondes → per densissimas frondes
  • in loco nullis presidiis → in loco nullis praesidiis
  • Nunc autum absolutis → Nunc autem absolutis
  • quam celerime afferre ; → quam celerrime afferre ;
  • nulla erat Europeanorum → nulla erat Europaeanorum
  • aut decem aut duodecem → aut decem aut duodecim
  • indissolubili nodo adnectaret → indissolubili nodo adnecteret
  • cellae intexis ramalibus → cellae intextis ramalibus
  • duas ejusmodi texit → duas ejusmodi texuit
  • Multa vero facienda superant → Multa vero facienda supererant
  • generis humanis originem → generis humani originem
  • barbaris inruentibus → barbaris irruentibus (consistence)
  • Ipso die operi destinata → Ipso die operi destinato
  • Antea vero voluistis → Antea vero voluisti
  • Paullulum progressi → Paululum progressi (consistence)
  • ullus fossam transirent → ulli fossam transirent

Notes for the second edition

Various fixes have been made, such as transcriptions errors, new spelling improvements (for the second version), and numerous macron corrections.