From the article: Why Study Latin?
Latin seems to be a dead language. Many people think it's foolish to learn a language that isn't spoken as a national language outside the Vatican. How would you persuade someone who wants to learn a language that he or she should study Latin? How would you persuade someone who has no interest in languages that Latin might do him or her a world of good? Please post your reasons, including, where appropriate, why you learned Latin. How would you persuade?
My school's philosophy on Latin
- My School is a classical christian school that studies Latin and Greek. we begin learning Latin at the young age of seven all the way through our senior year of high school. I appreciate studying latin and greek because it has helped with my english grammar so much. I also have picked back up my spanish fairly easily and also, my latin teacher can speak five different languages, all because he learned latin first. i think that i enjoy latin and greek so much because now i m able to read through some of the latin vulgate, and the new testament in it's origional greek. these languages are extremely beneficial an i have profited greatly from them. Thank you to Highlands Latin School for such a great opportuniy as I begin my freshmen year of high school!
- —Guest Hlslatingirlsos
Latin?
- I'm right now in 6th grade learning Latin, and I'm new to the school and alot of times I'll come home with the homework and ask Why do i need to know this/ This is so stupid! Latin is dumb, there's no pont! I'mma guest, I don't waste time on this stuff, but I need an answer! i have to translate so many sxentences! I just ask for help ppl!
- —Guest Mel
Why study Latin? Don't
- I studied Latin for 3 years in high school, and I regret not spending that time learning something more useful. All of the supposed benefits of learning Latin (increased vocabulary, better understanding of grammar, etc.) can be achieved more efficiently by studying those things directly, rather than studying them indirectly by learning Latin.
- —Guest Tom
archeaological mrine researcher
- If you have any love of either the Arts or Biology in you, how are you to translate the texts you find written in that language or name or understand any new species you may find? Latin gives an insight into the Roman and Christian world probably more than any other artifact. Without it you are akin to soldier going to war without a weapon, useless!
- —Guest edward cordell
Why Latin??
- I did study it for 2 years when young. Forgot most of it. Just spent 4 months reading Gibbons, and would REALLY have enjoyed understanding his footnotes. I'm reading Livy's Rome now, not as much Latin. I'm about 1/2 way through (book 20 or so...) and learning a lot here. Well, I see my roots here, from good to bad and worse. It's a savage culture, but where I came from. I can't forget that poor Vestal Virgin.
- —Herkopachef
energy
- why study latin? to keep the response sweet and short: reincarnation. nothing really dies.
- —Guest sen
Latin as an intellectual persuit
- Not only is Latin at the route of many languages and gives a unique understanding of grammar- but it also gives the oppurtunity to study some of the greatest works of literature in their original form. It is true an essential part of meaning is 'lost in translation' and the way that the language moves andflows is relevant to so many stylistic points that it is not the same thing at all to study a translated version of any text. Whether it is Cicero's speeches, Ovid's poetry, Catullus' love poetry or Virgil's epic latin literature is unique and timeless it is the basis of much of modern literature. The studying of latin should not be a forgotten pursuit left only to the privaleged or the intellectuals; it should be widely studied and read.
- —Guest flo
I study Latin!
- Latin helps you understand vocabulary in English, as well as other languages. For example, "belligerent" comes from the Latin word "bellum-i", a second-declension noun meaning "war". "Belligerent" means agressive, warlike... Also, it's great when you can speak Latin because you can say things no one understands!!
- —Guest Jo
Latin and Greek prefixes and suffixes
- I used to teach Latin and Greek prefixes and suffixes to my advanced ESL (English as a Second Language) students. They said that it helped build on their existing vocabulary, and it also helped those students heading toward academia and branches of law, medicine, science etc. I have a Masters degree in Modern Greek, and even though Modern and Classical Greek do differ, there are more than enough similarities to make learning both a satisfying and challenging pursuit. So why not learn Ancient Greek, Modern Greek AND Latin? And why is Latin seen as better to learn than Greek, in these pages at least?
- —roxanataj
Study Latin?
- Nowadays its will be very impossible to persuade anyone to study Latin. Most of the schools today do not encourage students to take any language, except Spanish. When I was in High School in Puerto Rico, I did have to take two years of Latin before I could take any other language. I have not forgotten to read and understand Latin. I remember all the songs in Latin that I sang at the Church Choir. I believe that Latin is the root of the Romance Languages. It is beautiful.
- —Guest Gladys TiraDo
Why not?
- Shorthand standardised responses to almost all situations, now with SMS becoming an art form, deprive us of the ability to think our way through them, increase frustrations, decrease communication, and rob us of the pleasure of expression that an understanding of our own language provides, especially as so much of grammar and etymology derives from Latin.
- —Guest starlight3rar
How would you persuade?
- We are living in a world where languages are facing the threat of exctinction...we have already lost the last speakers of Great Andamanese... it is our responsibility to bring about a revival of our classical languages - like Latin and Sanskrit. I studied Latin during my school years (Virgil's Aeneid and Cicero's De Amicitia) and felt delighted to note that in Kerala (South India)Latin is being taught in schools! Currently, I am translating De Amicitia into Tamil. My mission is to present the classics in the vernacular - even a layman should be able to understand and appreciate the richness and grandeur of our literary gems...
- —Guest Uma Balu
Learning Latin is a way of opening doors
- An understanding of Latin grammar helps you understand the grammar of your own language so much better. Studying Latin makes learning other European languages like French, Italian and Spanish so much easier since they all derive from Latin. So much of English and European literature is built upon the foundations of Greek and Latin literature. Sure, you can read these works in translation but studying them in the original gives you a much greater understanding of them. Latin poetry in particular is so rewarding and enjoyable. The Roman poet Catullus could be said to have invented the love/hate relationship. His poetry of unrequited love is exquisite and can only be truly appreciated in the original Latin. For hundreds of years no person could consider him or herself educated unless they could read and write Latin. By not acquiring these skills we cut ourselves off from so much of our own culture and tradition.
- —Guest Brian Keaney
