What Is a Dead Language Doing in the 21st Century?

e3mil.com ^ | 12/04/2004 | Sue Reilly

[kalee]

My son did 6 years of Latin in our homeschool. He's a senior this year, dual enrolled at university, where he has chosen to take a year of Russian. He says he will go back to Latin next year when he goes away to college.

[TomSmedley]

I'm starting home school kids # 3 and 4 on Esperanto.

[CatoRenasci]

ummmm, ...isn' that mens sana in corpora sano?

[Rummyfan]

I'm sure you're right! I'm getting my Latin from going over my son's homework, as it wasn't offered when I was in high school.

[Eepsy]

Fabricati Diem!

;-)

[CatoRenasci]

I'm starting home school kids # 3 and 4 on EsperantoAroint thee, minion of Soros!

[JesseHousman]

Exaudi nos, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus, et mittere digneris sanctum Angelum tuum de coelis, qui custodiat,foreat, protegat, visitet atque defendat omnes habitantes in hoc habitaculo. Per Chlristum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

We try to say this prayer, in English, often.

[judywillow]

The only more useless course tought in schools is plain geometry.

[JesseHousman]

Are you still able to attend the Latin mass?

[usmom]

I'm glad to hear of your son's success. I am teaching my 8 and 9 year old daughters Latin this year. When I tell anyone this, they laugh at me and think I'm weird. They ask why I bother teaching my kids a 'dead' language that they will not be able to actually converse with anyone in. I tried to explain some of the points in this article, but again, all I get is the glassy-eyed you're so not cool look.

[4CJ]

Kudos to you ma'am. You children will thank you for it. Mine are older and I wish I had started them on Latin.

[NYer]

Good to know some schools are getting back to basics. French, Spanish, Latin, Portuguese, are all latin-based languages. Latin should be a required language in all schools.

Catholic Ping - please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[AnAmericanMother]

Si hoc legere scis numium eruditionis habes.

[AnAmericanMother]

Darn! You beat me to it!

[Cronos]

GAllia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appelantur......

Haven't touched Greek though I have looked into languages that make LAtin look comparatively young -- namely Sanskrit and Avestan.

[CouncilofTrent]

I. :)

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I tried to take Latin in 8th grade. Transfered to a school that didn't offer it. I tried again in high school. They made the Latin teacher a full-time counselor. Took French instead. I played around with it from time to time. I wasn't Catholic yet, but I was already a hard core amateur historian and wanted it so I could read all those footnotes in the older history books in Latin...

Finally, in college, after taking four semesters of French I took latin for two semesters. It was great. Even though all my teacher wanted to do was gossip about literature and word etymologies, I still gained much. So much is there in the great classic writings (especially poetry) that you just can't get in translation. My latin's not all that great, and I have to use a dictionary a lot, but it's enough to let me understand that Aquinas' poetry is magnificent with subtle nuance and crystalline thought simulatenously...

Nothing like reading stuff in the original!

[Cronos]

WEll, Latin did have it's slang -- Vulgate. And that language developed into Italian, Spanish, French etc. (and English derives a lot from French). High Latin is thought to have been a lot harder -- so, instead of pronouncing CAesar as in modern Italin -- Che zaare, it would be more like German -- Kaizer

[No_Outcome_But_Victory]

Dear interested Freepers and Homeschoolers:

You can download free PDF files of old time Latin and Greek (both New Testament Greek and Classical Greek) grammars and readings at http://www.textkit.com .

[TChris]

Carpe diem!!!!!!

Carpe dem: Seize the Liberal!