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Latin

So can anybody here speak Latin? I was just wondering because I'm going to start and learn it. My prof. from college says its making a come back. Asian countries are learning it, and slowly but surely taking over the world.

Comments

  • I cannot. I hope to learn it one day, it's a beautiful language. Good luck to you in your studies.

  • CactusmanXCactusmanX Member Posts: 2,218

    I know some, but as for people speaking it, I don't think so, it is a dead language, Asians may learn it to help them understand the modern romantic languages but outside of antemology it doesn't have much use, unless you want to translate latin or teach it.

    Don't you worry little buddy. You're dealing with a man of honor. However, honor requires a higher percentage of profit

  • Originally posted by CactusmanX


    I know some, but as for people speaking it, I don't think so, it is a dead language, Asians may learn it to help them understand the modern romantic languages but outside of antemology it doesn't have much use, unless you want to translate latin or teach it.



    It has many applications when you study historical documents and religious texts. Also, it's just a cool language to know :)

  • Manson_FanManson_Fan Member Posts: 46
    Yes it turned into a dead language in about... 1950? When America started to take control of society and English became the international language. Still, you can speak five or so languages just because so many root words are from Latin.



    For example:



    asinus (ah-seen-us) - donkey - ass

    taurus (towrus) - taurus (tor-us)

    est - is

    dormit - is sleeping


    familia (fah-mil-lia) - (spanish) familia (meaning family)



    I think that all European countries have Latin somewhere in their language, and English being composed of ~52.7% Latin root words. So, to learn Latin is to better understand the world in general.



    Also, people do still speak Latin, just not an entire identifiable group. People throughout Europe and North America still speak Latin, it's just rare.
  • Malachi1975Malachi1975 Member Posts: 1,079

    Originally posted by Manson_Fan

    Yes it turned into a dead language in about... 1950? When America started to take control of society and English became the international language. Still, you can speak five or so languages just because so many root words are from Latin.



    For example:



    asinus (ah-seen-us) - donkey - ass

    taurus (towrus) - taurus (tor-us)

    est - is

    dormit - is sleeping

    familia (fah-mil-lia) - (spanish) familia (meaning family)



    I think that all European countries have Latin somewhere in their language, and English being composed of ~52.7% Latin root words. So, to learn Latin is to better understand the world in general.



    Also, people do still speak Latin, just not an entire identifiable group. People throughout Europe and North America still speak Latin, it's just rare.

    Ouch. What a horrible generalisation. So America killed Latin? To which "latin" are you referring. Consdering there have been MANY generations of "Latin" in which it evolved as a language.

    Yes, saying "latin" is a dead language is also a generalisation. Old and Classical Latin maybe be "dead" in that fact that conversational usage may be a bit hard...but "Church" latin is still in use the last time I checked. I am pretty sure those guys at a little place called Vatican City would attest to that.

    "What is it I have against Microsoft, you ask? Well, you know how you feel when you wait for an MMO to come out and when it does you feel like you've paid to play it's beta test for another 6-9 months before anything even thinks of working the way it should? Being a network engineer you feel that way about anything Microsoft puts out."

  • Manson_FanManson_Fan Member Posts: 46
    Yeah... I forgot about the Vatican. They speak the church Latin, but really that got far away from classic Latin.



    optimus primus - Optimus Prime - first best (woah I'm smart lol)



    And yes, if you look it up English did kill Latin. Latin was the international language before America started organizing themselves and meddling in other country's business.
  • Malachi1975Malachi1975 Member Posts: 1,079

    Originally posted by Manson_Fan

    Yeah... I forgot about the Vatican. They speak the church Latin, but really that got far away from classic Latin.



    optimus primus - Optimus Prime - first best (woah I'm smart lol)



    And yes, if you look it up English did kill Latin. Latin was the international language before America started organizing themselves and meddling in other country's business.

    English REPLACED Latin as an international language, but it didn't "kill" it. I also think you're view that it was because "America meddled" is a bit askew. It was a matter of fact that America started to become a major economic power shortly after WWII. That's simple business, you learn the language of your money market. Considering that more countries speak PROPER English rather than the horrifically bastardised form which we use here in the U.S. you MIGHT want to also take into account just how large the British Empire was at one time...

    "What is it I have against Microsoft, you ask? Well, you know how you feel when you wait for an MMO to come out and when it does you feel like you've paid to play it's beta test for another 6-9 months before anything even thinks of working the way it should? Being a network engineer you feel that way about anything Microsoft puts out."

  • wyvexwyvex Member UncommonPosts: 346

    im taking latin this year

    image

  • Manson_FanManson_Fan Member Posts: 46

    Jesus, I had no idea you took stuff so literally. I never said English killed Latin, I just stated that English became the international language around 1950. And yes, America did start meddling in other country's business. Why can't we be a small country that just worries about local problems? Because we are a republic. (but that's against the rules to type anything to do with politics...) Although the British Empire was large, Latin was still the main language and had been since 753 B.C. (the founding of Rome). It was the easiest to understand and people who knew Latin could learn new languages quite easily. No matter how large the British Empire was, it still didn't compare English speakers - Latin speakers. Latin outnumbered English by quite a few.

  • CactusmanXCactusmanX Member Posts: 2,218

    Latin hasn't been spoken as a national language for a long time, even before the fall of the Byzantine Empire, latin began to become less like the vulgar latin that the people spoke and changed into the different dialects of the various areas that use to be under Roman control giving way to languages like french, spanish, portugese and italian, while the Catholic Church still used Latin since that was what the Bible was copied in and many official documents were written in Latin, the language wasn't really spoken anymore.  This was about the 9th century if not before that.

    Today the only people that speak latin are hobbiests, even jobs that need latin such as people that translate old roman documents, do not really need to speak it as they do not need to communicate to anyone, just read and understand it .

    But anyway,

    Magnam Fortunam tibi cupio.

    Don't you worry little buddy. You're dealing with a man of honor. However, honor requires a higher percentage of profit

  • Malachi1975Malachi1975 Member Posts: 1,079

     

    Originally posted by Manson_Fan


    Jesus, I had no idea you took stuff so literally. I never said English killed Latin, I just stated that English became the international language around 1950. And yes, America did start meddling in other country's business. Why can't we be a small country that just worries about local problems? Because we are a republic. (but that's against the rules to type anything to do with politics...) Although the British Empire was large, Latin was still the main language and had been since 753 B.C. (the founding of Rome). It was the easiest to understand and people who knew Latin could learn new languages quite easily. No matter how large the British Empire was, it still didn't compare English speakers - Latin speakers. Latin outnumbered English by quite a few.

     

    I'm not taking things literal, I am only debating broad generalisations. You may not have said "America killed latin" but you did state that you believe, and I paraphrase, that "latin was the international language until America started meddling in other country's business in or around the 50s".

    You're also missing the point about the British Empire. The British Empire introduce english to more nations LONG before the United States had the chance to do so. The British Empire is actually one of the main reasons why english became globaly spread before the United States "meddled" anywhere. In you example you note that Latin became the widespread language at the foundation of Rome, who, spread the language as they spread their empire. Fast-forward a several centuries and you see the British Empire doing the same thing. Implying that the United States is responsible for "meddling" in anyone elses national language is a bit daft. If countries adopted the widespread teaching of english within their education system it was simply because they wanted to be able to interact with the US Economy. If you consider people learning the language of a nation who was becoming a global goldmine "meddling" then you are right, but that could have happened with any country and any language who were in the same position.

    I also find it a bit funny that you note that the english language is comprised of 50% latin-based vocabulary, but then you don't see the transition from latin to english in the same light as other countries who adopted latin centuries ago. Sure, english is a hodgepodge of vocabularies and it's Germanic in it's base but it was a transition from latin, not "meddling".

    Now, if anything killed anything, I would say the United States killed english :P

     

    EDIT- By the way, I just looked at your profile. Considering you live in the same city as me don't make me come over there and speak latin to you! 

    And to your original question, the only latin I remember is what I learned when I originally was studying to be a criminal prosecuting attorney.

    "What is it I have against Microsoft, you ask? Well, you know how you feel when you wait for an MMO to come out and when it does you feel like you've paid to play it's beta test for another 6-9 months before anything even thinks of working the way it should? Being a network engineer you feel that way about anything Microsoft puts out."

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