Mock-Latin Macaronic Verse

Macaronic language has a long, disreputable history.

My dad used to recite a mock-Latin poem sometimes after dinner, a few drinks, and the prodding of his children. It was always funny, and the joke always got across, even to the youngest kid at the table, which happened to be me, and I hadn't even taken Latin in high school yet. It's the repetition of -ibus and -orum, and the classic boy meets girl, boy has ass handed to him by girl's angry father, story narrated (in my mind) by noted Latin scholar Vincent Price.

Skimming the internet haphazardly for instances of this macaronstrosity, it seems to be squarely in the oral tradition. None of what I have seen online is attributed, and spelling varies greatly. It seems that variations of the main theme were written in Latin notebooks and texts, by disgruntled sophomores, who were probably mimicking the dignified seniors, who might have been capable of writing such wit. Thank yearbooks, then, and college-town newspapers, for finding this stuff amusing and printing it in the back with the catering ads and football scores.

These mock-Latin macaronics are all printed as I found them with no editorial scrubbing. The first version below is from The Log, 1924: Juniata High School Yearbook: Blair Co, PA.


O, Caesar!

Darkibus nightibus
Nota lamporum
Boyibus kissibus
Sweet girlorum
Girlibus likabus
Wanta someorum
Pater puellibus
Enter parlorum
Kickabus boyibus
Exibus doorum
Nightibus darkabus
Minus lamporum
Climbibus fencibus
Breechibus torum

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Another version, from The Cornell Daily Sun, November 24, 1937 [PDF file].


Latin Lesson

Peuribus kissibus
Sweeta girlorum;
Girlibus likibus,
Wanta somorum.

Pateribus girlibus
Enter parlorum;
Kickum peuribus
Exit duorum.

Nightibus darkibus,
Nonus lamporum;
Jumpibus fencibus,
Pantibus torum.

–Boston College Heights

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Another one, from The Wesleyan Argus, January 14, 1895 [PDF file].


A Modern Tragedy

Boyibus kissibus,
Sweet girliorum;
Girlibus likibus,
Wanti someorum.

Inibus lapibus,
Sitigirliorum;
Thenibus boyibus,
Kissi someorum.

Papibus seeibus,
Slapi girliorum.
Kickibus boyibus,
Outi doororum.

Thenibus boyibus,
Limpi homeorum;
Girlibus cryibus
Kissi nomoreorum.

–Exchange

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And one for the ladies, from Potter College for Young Ladies Exhibit, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1889-1909.


Drawing of student making fudge

Girlibus makibus
Sweet fudgiorum
Over her gasibus
Crack in her doorum
Deanibus smellibus
Rushes to doorum
Scaribus girlibus
Out of year’s growrum.
Darkibus nightibus
No lightiorium
Girlibus weepibus
Fudge on the floorum

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There's much more to macaronic language than just the Latinate puns. Perhaps an update later on.