LATdict

The Site

LATdict was created to be a Latin resource website, provided free of charge, to the online community. Okay, to be fair, this website began as a sandbox used for web development; however, it stands I did concentrate my techniques towards a goal--that is, creating a Latin dictionary using the various tools laid out for me. Without some sort of goal, the process would be analogous to getting a new set of power tools for Christmas but not having any project lined up for using them.

Thus, LATdict was born out of my own tinkering, where the focus slowly began to shift from concentrating on using the tools, to concentrating on the overall project. When I realized that the feasibility of creating an online dictionary of this sort was worth the effort, I began to flesh it out. The first thing to go up was a design, which prevented the site from being drab and ugly--which can be subjectively argued, I understand.

In any case, I am a big fan of aesthetics--or rather, a hybrid of aesthetics and functionality. Many scholarly websites that provide the best information may be labors of love, but they are still ugly as sin. One could easily debate that effectiveness does not outweigh looks--and furthermore, a flashy appearance can act as a façade that masks the true nature of a horrible, otherwise worthless website. But, I don't see why these sites shouldn't go the extra step. Perhaps it is due to a lack of funding, or a lack of artistic designers on staff. I can't posit why or why not so many of these sites lurk behind the times, but I feel that no harm exists in making a good website better by giving it a nice outward appearance.

So, that's why this site is somewhat flashy--and I can admit to the possibility that a lot of people will find the design of this website completely the opposite. But I am merely explaining my philosophy on harmonious application design, not my abilities to make a website that is visually pleasing to everyone.

The Ads

Content for this site is provided freely, from labor in turn done unpaid. If I can make an income from any of this shy of getting some sort of financial backing from a university, company or other benefactor, the ads on this site are the most viable option. I don't like ads either, but Google's ads do not get in the way of the site experience, so I don't expect anyone to have any trouble navigating the site. This site will never, ever (ever) have popup ads or anything annoying. This is because I use this site just as much, if not more, as the next person.

If anyone feels completely disgusted with this, I would recommend that he or she find an alternate ad-free website. No mandate exists that one must click on these add. Likewise, no mandate exists that one must visit this website.

The Author

I am Kevin Mahoney. I was born in Spokane, Washington, USA in the early 80s. Spokane is a relatively large city considering it's located near the northern Idaho border. I lived in Spokane for most of my life, graduating from Gonzaga Preparatory High School in 2001. Yes, that sounds like quite a snobby high school. I would say "I may have attended, but I wasn't rich"--but most people would not believe me, so we'll just leave it at that. As of February 2006, however, I've been a resident of Bellingham, WA--infinitely more beautiful and scenic than most other places in the country, and especially a much better town than Spokane in almost all facets.

In any case, I found myself interested in foreign languages soon after starting high school. I managed to take three years of Latin courses, as well as a Greek course there, which really honed my abilities in both English and other foreign languages. The Latin language provides a rich terminology for linguistic applications, which in turn help one to study several languages. For example, it helps to know what the subjunctive mood means, and how it ports to other Indo-European languages.

In a sense, Latin is a serious cornerstone for those wishing to learn Romance Languages. And due to its amazingly stringent syntactical structure, it is a dream language for any programmer wishing to create a foreign language dictionary. That is why I decided to create a Latin dictionary rather than some other type.

I am an avid supporter of the provision of free language resources on the web. This site is merely a speck of dust compared to the achievements of others. One such example is the Perseus Project, which is practically the library for digital versions of classical manuscripts in both Latin and Greek, not to mention a variety of other things. Aside from these collegiate juggernauts, many other people have taken it upon their own investment to provide free language learning tools and lessons to the masses, free of charge. They have thus opened the gates for long-distance language learning, as well as exposure to the more obscure languages out there. One fine example would be the Gaeilge language (Irish branch of Gaelic languages), which is currently undergoing its own renaissance partly fueled by several independent "Learn Irish Online" websites.

I hope to eventually make my living by working on bridging the language gaps that are prevalent both online and offline. I get most of my kicks out of both computer science and linguistics, so hopefully finding employment specifically for that purpose would be a dream come true for certain. So, that is my major aspiration in life, and my driving motivation for this site.

Special Thanks

First and foremost, this site could not be possible without the generosity of William Whitaker, who is responsible for compiling the Latin wordlist used in LATdict, as well as English translations, and providing everything free of restriction. In essence, if LATdict were a car, Whitaker provided the engine while I provided the chassis. LATdict would not function without his word list. Whitaker has also written his own free Latin dictionary in the Ada language, and it's by far the most powerful dictionary program I have seen. Don't be fooled by its text-based layout--it is the most effective Latin dictionary you'll be able to find for free (and better than most if not all commercial applications as well), and is also platform independent. UNIX users rejoice!

Now, my old Latin teachers from high school, Kevin Griffin (Latin I), and Rick LaBelle (Latin II). If either of them were to ever read this, I would feel honored (or perhaps mortified if they thought of this site as rubbish). In any case, they both fostered and nurtured my interest in Latin, without which this site would not be possible. If for any reason a student at Gonzaga Prep is reading this, for the love of God take a Latin course! Or all of them, for that matter. It's beneficial in almost every way with the exception that you won't find many people speaking it aloud these days; nevertheless, it will no doubt make learning any Romance language a walk in the park.

Contact Information

Kevin Mahoney
e-mail: kabojnk@gmail.com