A Classics Question

Almost every non-Latin enthusiast will say at some point, “Latin is a dead language.” Since I began learning the language several years ago, I’ve seen this quip thrown around a lot. Yes, the Romans and the majority speakers of Latin, in terms of their race and civilization, do not exactly exist anymore. As a defender of the Classics, I occasionally reach for my phone and search up “Who officially speaks Latin?” on Google. Of course, the Vatican City pops up in addition to some lesser known options such as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. But the majority of the world does not speak Latin. I was truly beginning to think that Latin was dead for the most part, too. The question “Is Latin a dead language?” is formidable in terms of its historical accuracy, but a historical lens might not be the most applicable of perspectives to use. Latin actually lives on in a way that defies the accepted understanding of the “living” status of a language.

Despite the undebatable historical “deadness”, Latin has never been more alive.

First, Latin’s applications in the world of semantics cannot be understated. When we’re all young and learn increasingly complicated English, for example, we proceed first from the relatively simple phonetic words to words mostly based in Latin roots. Some estimates seem to claim that almost 40 to 50 percent of the words in the English language can be linked to Latin words. In addition to being a foundation for our learning, Latin led to the creation of other Romance languages, including more Latin-infused modern languages such as French, Italian and Spanish. Latin provided a springboard for the origin of these more commonly studied languages. Latin is essentially the mother of many languages that are very much “alive” and thriving in the modern world.

The true essence of Latin is that over so many years, its influence extends beyond the educational content relevant to language learning. There’s a current movement of improving STEM curriculua and promoting the importance of STEM to youth, but it would be ignorant not to discuss the reach of Latin into the sciences as well. Besides the neat origin that science comes from the Latin word scientia, Latin provides for major terms. Ductus arteriosus, dura mater, pia mater, only to name a few. The periodic table includes element symbols such as Pb, or lead, that derive their names from the corresponding Latin word (plumbum). Taxonomy is mostly based in Latin to the point that the father of taxonomy, Carl von Linne himself, would write his manuscripts in Latin and classify himself as “Carolus Linnaeus.” Latin abbreviations also abound in common activities. We utilize Latin when we talk about time: a.m. (ante meridiem) and p.m. (post meridiem). Prescriptions usually enclose instructions such as a.c., (ante cibum or before a meal). Many terms in politics and law are Latin words such as habeas corpus or subpoena. Classical history, in general, encompasses the very commonly-cited foundation of democracy in Ancient Greece as well as the Roman Republic, which has had a vast impact on subsequent government forms including the concept of branches (three branches, more specifically). Though it might not seem apparent, Latin is a truly essential component to our lives and current society.

In each line of the most renowned Roman pieces such as Vergil’s Aeneid and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, we can also relive aspects of civilization which are otherwise difficult to understand. The Roman civilization, especially as an empire, created one of the most impressive eras in all history and its vivid legacy is embedded in pieces written in Latin. The Renaissance, one of the most fruitful periods of time for art, philosophy and science, enclosed a premise of the revival and the rediscovering of such vital attributes that made Roman civilization, and human civilization in general, at the time so intriguing to so many active Renaissance participants. This applicability has lasted the test of the time, carrying over into our personal development of language perception and understanding as well as a gamut of our non-Classical educational curriculum. Sure, Latin might be a “dead” language. Despite the undebatable historical “deadness”, Latin has never been more alive with an overwhelming number of Classics enthusiasts buzzing around and joining together to discuss the inherent beauty and versatility of this language.