Latin tongue twisters

  • Latin tongue twisters are phrases that are difficult to pronounce and so can be used either as entertainment or to improve articulation.

Tongue twisters in Latin

  • Te te, ro Ro, ma ma, nu nu, da da, te te, la la, te te!
    • Joined together the syllables read: Te tero, Roma, manu nuda, date tela, latete!
    • I will destroy you, Rome, with my bare hands, arm yourselves and hide! (Origin unknown).
  • In mari meri miri mori muri accidit.
    • In a sea of delicious wine a mouse happened to die. (Origin unknown).
  • Si procul a Proculo Proculi campana fuisset, nunc procul a Proculo Proculus ipse foret.
    • If the bell of Proculus had been far from Proculus, Proculus himself would be far from Proculus.
    • (Meaning: If the bell of St. Proculus had been far from a man called Proculus, Proculus now buried in the church after the bell fell on his head, would be far from St. Proculus who is also buried there.)
    • From a 14th century CE headstone on the wall of the Church of San Proculo in Bologna, Italy.

Tongue twisters by the Poet Ennius (239-169 BCE).

  • O Tite tute Tati tibi tanta tyranne tulisti!
    • O you tyrant, Titus Tatius, you made these things happen! 
  • Mater optumatum multo mulier melior mulierum.
    • A mother is a much better woman than women.
  • Stultust qui cupita cupiens cupienter cupit.
    • He is a fool who wantonly desires wantonly.
  • Quicqam quisquan cuiquam, quod conveniat, neget?
    • Who will deny someone what is due to him?
  • Machina multa minax minitatur maxima muris.
    • The machine is threatened by many threats, the greatest being a mouse.

English tongue twisters

  • Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
  • She sells seashells by the seashore
  • Peter Piper:
    • Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
    • a peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
    • If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
    • where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

French tongue twisters (Virelangues)

  • Si six scies scient six-cent-six scies, ces six-cents-six scies seront sciees.
    • If six saws saw six hundred and six saws, those six hundred and six saws will be sawed.
  • Un chasseur sachant chasser, sait chasser sans son chien.
    • A hunter who knows how to hunt, knows how to hunt without his dog.

Philogelos

  • Philogelos meaning ‘Love of laughter’ is a 4th century CE book of Roman Jokes which was written in Ancient Greek.
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