Latin Isn't Dead, It's the Best
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Say Goodbye To Boring Old Spanish, Here Are 10 Reasons We're Speaking Latin Now

I came. I saw. I wrote this article to defend my favorite language from unnecessary hate.

162
Say Goodbye To Boring Old Spanish, Here Are 10 Reasons We're Speaking Latin Now
https://www.pexels.com/photo/629142/

I know what you're thinking. Isn't Latin a dead language? And if Latin isn't a dead language why doesn't anyone speak it anymore? How come people are still studying an empire that fell thousands of years ago? And how can this 3,000-year-old language be better than Spanish? Well, you're about to find out.

1. Other languages are overrated.

(Except when I was required to take it in elementary school.)

Giphy

Yes, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world and definitely very useful in the modern day. That doesn't make it superior to Latin. Just think: Spanish came from Latin, yet Latin doesn't get any respect. Is that fair to the Romans?

2. You'll learn a bunch of random trivia.

Noses were often broken off or eroded from marble statues (especially Egyptian ones).

upload.wikimedia.org

For example, the word "trivia" comes from "tri" and "via," which translates to "three roads," or the place where three roads met. This term came to mean a common place, which is why we can see that trivia is just the "commonplace" things you know. Another example is that Vergil, the author of the "Aeneid" (which entails the journey of the Trojans after they lost the Trojan War), really loved bees/bee metaphors. Also, his name is NOT spelled like Virgil.

3. You'll get to feel like Hermione.

The spell Reparo is from reparo, -re and is translated as "to prepare (again)".

Giphy

Hermione was and still is my academic heroine. The true way to channel that "we'll be killed, or worse, EXPELLED!" energy is to take Latin, a language Hermione definitely mastered as soon as she realized it made up about 90 percent of magic spells.

4. Roman culture is interesting!

Roman sculptors painted their masterpieces. So this is what they actually looked like.

Giphy

It's almost as if Ancient Rome was a civilization with its own unique identity, language, traditions, and people! But seriously, learning Latin is so much deeper than just taking it for the foreign language credit; you'll have to dive into their society to understand the ramifications of, say, Caesar declaring himself dictator, or the lower class Gracchi brothers redistributing the land to the urban poor.

5. It's way easier to learn than most languages.

I can barely speak my native language, so don't ask me to speak in another!

image.freepik.com

This isn't to say that the word structure is super simple or that you'll instantly memorize all the tense endings, but chances are if you speak English, you can excel at Latin. The alphabets are pretty close, so there are a lot of similar words. You don't have to learn a whole new system like the specific strokes for making characters in Chinese, or remember exactly which sounds you can actually pronounce like in French.

6. Latin words and roots are found in tons of other languages.

A happy family of Latin languages!

4.bp.blogspot.com

There is literally an entire category of languages called Romance languages. Not because people particularly find them romantic, but because they all derive from the language of the Roman Empire, i.e. Latin. English, on the other hand, is a Germanic language, but 60 percent of its words are derived from Latin. And if you go into the languages of science, technology, or medicine, majority of the terms you'll find are also, you guessed it, from Latin. It lives on.

7. There are still people out there who speak Latin.

Salve, Pope!

wgbh.brightspotcdn.com

And it's not just the Pope! Classics scholars and Latin teachers alike are technically speaking Latin. You gotta understand the language if you're going to impart your knowledge onto a bunch of kids and/or academics. And understanding the language means studying the past to see how the social/political/cultural environments influenced the way people spoke. Like, in a thousand years some anthropologist is going to be asking what the connotation of slang words like "swag" and "yeet" are, just as much as researchers are still debating over specific translations and interpretations of "Caesar's Gallic Wars" now.


Sure, it's not very conversational. That's also because the Romans basically talked in a monotone. So we'd either have to become realllllllllly good at Latin or all lose our personalities if we wanted an authentic experience. But I see people caption their Instagram pics with veni vidi vici all the time, so we're basically halfway there.

8. Its popularity is growing faster than ever.

Did anyone else ironically enjoy the Percy Jackson films?

Giphy

Fun fact: apparently, some schools in New England allow their students to learn Latin from as early as kindergarten. That means by the time they're in middle school they can probably read Latin faster and better than you can read any language after taking it all through high school. It also probably helps that books like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson have made Latin seem way cooler than they are. So if you don't like Latin, you pretty much don't want kids to cultivate a love of reading!

9. It can be so... graphic.

Rough translation: "Beautiful mountains." "They are." / "Actually, (reminds) me of home. I remember home..." / "What's the time?" "Noon."

c1.staticflickr.com

Two words: Catullus 16. Read at your own discretion. (NSFW)

10. Because I said so!

Abby Lee said it best.

Giphy

I'm tired of being criticized for taking Latin. Who cares if it's old? It's fun!

In conclusion, Latin is alive and well, and the best language to take if you need a foreign language credit. Honestly, where would we be without it?

(Probably speaking a lot more German.)

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

71516
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

133505
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments