Benefits of Studying Latin

Quasus

Civis Illustris

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Location:
Águas Santas
(Emily) dixit:
I plan to do something in the language field (not sure what yet) and I'm trying to get a feel for different languages. I know that I've found a lot of similarities between Latin, Spanish and English and knowing that Latin is a root of those languages fascinates me.
If so, you should know that Latin is not the root of English. Latin has greatly influenced English but is not its ancestor. If we proceed with botanic metaphors, one could say that there is a Latin graft in English. :)
 

Iohannes Aurum

Technicus Auxiliarius

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Location:
Torontum, Ontario, Canada
In other words, English is a Germanic language with substantial influence from Latin and its descendant languages.
 

Magistrah

New Member

Vocabulary is important, but a good SAT prep class or word origin class can help you just as much. I think the main benefit to studying Classical Latin is that it helps students understand the way Indo European grammar works- so they become better and more thoughtful English speakers and writers. I see Latin as a tool- by dissecting and composing Latin sentences, you begin to understand things about our grammar that we just take for granted. It's biology for languages.
 

TaylorS

New Member

Location:
Moorhead, MN, USA
I'm a language geek (indeed, Linguistics is my major) and Latin is a good gateway to other archaic Indo-European languages like Classical Greek, Sanskrit, and Hittite.

I also have always had a strong interest in the late Republican period of Roman history.

And I think Latin is just simply a cool and beautiful language.
 
 

Bestiola

Nequissima

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  • Sacerdos Isidis

It develops patience, precision and perseverance, all areas in which I'm lacking.

:innocent:
 

dodaive

New Member

I am still studying Latin and enjoying it. But as far as benefits it is too early to tell. For now, I study it just the the enjoyment of it, but I would like to tell you the benefits that I have experienced from studying Classical Chinese, because I believe the benefits of Latin are probably similar. Classical Chinese is very different then how it is spoken. It tends to capture innate meanings and put them in a logical order, rather than be embedded in the arbitrary habitual patterns of speech. I believe that classical Latin was also very different then the way people spoke at that time. So the benefit to sum it up is:

It gives a person an acute awareness of the relationship between words and their ability to anchor down innate meaning. The ability to look at innate meaning a priori, before attaching words to it. And consequently, following it up with choosing the most precise words to express it.
 
 

Matthaeus

Vemortuicida strenuus

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Location:
Varsovia
It makes you want to become king or queen 8)
 

Akela

sum

  • Princeps Senatus

Location:
BC
Matthaeus dixit:
It makes you want to become king or queen 8)
Like the ones kicked out of Rome? :roll:
 
 

Bestiola

Nequissima

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Even though those Etruscans indubitably indebted Romans by draining marshes and building sewerage system, I reckon it pertains more to the rulers of medieval Europe.
 

Iohannes Aurum

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Location:
Torontum, Ontario, Canada
... or of the current monarchs of Europe.
 
 

Matthaeus

Vemortuicida strenuus

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Location:
Varsovia
Yeah, definitely early medieval. :roll:
 
 

Matthaeus

Vemortuicida strenuus

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Location:
Varsovia
IMO the best examples of kings date from the mediaeval period.
 

gangleri2001

Active Member

Location:
Aquae Calidae, Hispania Tarraconensis
It's the language of the holy ancestors, what other higher benefit could there be than praising them and keeping their mos? May the Dii Consentes protect their souls in the afterworld.
 

MarcvsIX

New Member

Hi, initial post for me — just beginning to explore Latin because:
1. Desire to read Latin philosophy in the original.
2. Retired: at last I can study what and only what I like.
3. Need a better language to think in, fed up with the glorious mess of English I think in now :)
—MarcvsIX
 

Quasus

Civis Illustris

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Location:
Águas Santas
MarcvsIX dixit:
1. Desire to read philosophy in the original.
If you mean ancient philosophy, obviously Latin is not the best choice. ;)
 

Symposion

Active Member

Location:
Helsingia (Finnia)
For me as a researcher latin is the most important language. This because most of the sources to medieval history in Catholic Europe is originally written and published in latin.
 

Quasus

Civis Illustris

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Location:
Águas Santas
Ralf Palmgren dixit:
For me as a researcher latin is the most important language. This because most of the sources to medieval history in Catholic Europe is originally written and published in latin.
 

Avarus

Active Member

Location:
USA
Spoken Latin is beautiful when pronounced well, and the language has history. I love Latin for its history; it's just more fascinating than anything. I really wish it was a majority spoken language today rather than considered "dead" by the majority.
 
 

Matthaeus

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Location:
Varsovia
Nothing can be called dead which lives on in the minds of living people. 8)
 
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