Why learn Latin?
One of my readers sent me this insightful comment: “My grandfather detested Latin and even into his late 80s, expressed doubt as too why he had to learn it. He said late in life, “I thought I would have found out by now”. He died at 89 (not of old age).”
I’m tempted to say ’sic transit gloria mundi’ but I agree with him! 
Tom Chandler wrote:
Damnit, Man. You’re missing the gravy train. You could still become the only copywriter writing ads in Latin.
You’d dominate the niche. Dominate it.
Posted on 08-Nov-07 at 7:09 pm | Permalink
Matthew Stibbe wrote:
There are only two guys that I know of who have the job of composing Latin and neither of them gets paid for it. One is the priest in the Vatican whose job it is to come up with Latin words and phrases for things that didn’t exist in the classical era. For example, gummi masticandum for chewing gum. Then there is the public orator at Oxford who composes speeches in praise of the recipients of honorary degrees (which are sometimes spoofed in Private Eye).
Posted on 08-Nov-07 at 7:39 pm | Permalink
Jude wrote:
I took a year of Latin from a German-American who screamed at us for being lazy Americans, which we were. I took it more or less for the same reason I took Ute, Navajo, Russian, and German–just to get a feel for the language. What I gained from studying Latin as an adult was 1) amazement that people actually spoke a language where word endings are so important; 2) insight into that crazy ancient Roman mind and heritage; 3) an understanding of some of the more inane English grammar rules that we adapted from them; and 4) the joy of studying. At the end of the year, the screaming German-American proved that she was really a softie because she gave those of us who survived an ice cream and blueberry pie party.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 5:46 am | Permalink
Bruce Pilgrim wrote:
In high school, we were required to translate parts of Julius Caesar’s Gallic chronicles. This task was way beyond my abilities and interest. So, I bought a translation, and in an attempt to cover my tracks, made sure to insert various mistakes in the copy I turned in as my own. The teacher wrote the following on my first paper: “You have obviously bought one of the better translations. In the future, please copy it correctly.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 1:01 pm | Permalink
David Bradley wrote:
Having the classics under your belt is probably very useful if you work for one of those branding companies that come up with quasi-classical names for bog cleaners, pharmaceutical companies, web 2.0 site names…
db
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 4:41 pm | Permalink
Sallie Goetsch wrote:
David Bradley is exactly right: since leaving academentia, I get the most use of my degree(s) in Classics when I do naming gigs, particularly if the product is pharmaceutical or high-tech. Nevertheless, Latin is handy for building vocabulary, and I always thought it was fun, though I came to like Greek rather more. And Julius Caesar, one finds after wrestling with Tacitus, actually writes very clean, simple Latin, much the equivalent of the kind of writing one is encouraged to do for business even today.
Posted on 12-Nov-07 at 12:10 am | Permalink
Scott McArthur wrote:
I never use Latin per se…….
Posted on 12-Nov-07 at 5:33 pm | Permalink
Sheila Martin wrote:
I went to a Catholic girls school where Latin was mandatory. I loved it!
Knowing the root of so many words makes it easy to understand countless English words and to pick up the basics of any Romance language.
As they say: Amor caecus est. (Love is blind.)
Posted on 12-Nov-07 at 10:47 pm | Permalink
Mike Wright wrote:
Matt, One other comment on latin, every year, since the first grade or so, I can remember receiving valentine’s day cards. Unfortunately, a lot fewer than I expected, and not from people that I wished. The one that is most memorable, was the one I received from my daughter last year, which was the only one I received, which stated: Patermea: Te amo! Sous Fillia.
Two points here. 1. My daughter is obviously better educated than I ever was, and 2. She actually had to think in giving the card, beyond standing in line at the local card shop to simply buy it and sign her name.
Posted on 15-Nov-07 at 12:07 pm | Permalink
Akajos wrote:
Learing some Latin is the only way to understand some English. Vita est difficilis vicis. Quam decet facillimus. (Life is the tricky time. Then it becomes easier.)
Posted on 21-Nov-07 at 5:26 am | Permalink