Help in defending: learning Latin

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fictilis
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Fictilis

Guest
This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us be glad and rejoice therein!

Whenever someone realizes I am learning Latin, they, most uncharitably attack
the idea of learning Latin, and attack me for learning it. My defense of learning
Latin needs some strengthening. (I am having a good time learning Latin)

When pointed out to them, that they are attacking the concept of learning a
beautiful language they know nothing about, they are silenced; yet I know my
argument can be so much more: that the argument could show them reasons
why learning Latin is lovely (and not just relying on (english) translations of
texts originally written in Latin)

How would you defend, when someone attacks the idea of learning Latin?

Gratias tibi ago
 
Fictilis said:
How would you defend, when someone attacks the idea of learning Latin?
Click to expand...
What’s there to defend? It’s the language of the Romans, whose form of government and law has been copied all over the world, it’s the language of the cross and the Church, of which you are a member I presume, its alphabet is used by more than one half of the world’s population and it’s the language of many writers and scholars throughout history. And over half of the English vocabulary has Latin roots; without Latin we’d be still speaking like Anglo-Saxon barbarians. 🙂

Keep the faith and keep up with the studies.
 
I know for a fact, back in the 1700’s it was often required that you know Latin in order to get into any college or university. Latin is great because many different languages, including English, are based on it. Another advantage of it, is that if you ever want to learn another language, knowing Latin before hand usually makes things a great deal easier.

Currently I’m learning French, even though I don’t know Latin very much, the little I know about it has helped me out ( a lot). 👍 And just think, some of the words in this very post have a Latin origin to them.
 
BGR_15 said:
I know for a fact, back in the 1700’s it was often required that you know Latin in order to get into any college or university. Latin is great because many different languages, including English, are based on it. Another advantage of it, is that if you ever want to learn another language, knowing Latin before hand usually makes things a great deal easier.

Currently I’m learning French, even though I don’t know Latin very much, the little I know about it has helped me out ( a lot). 👍 And just think, some of the words in this very post have a Latin origin to them.
Click to expand...
i went the reverse, i began my latin studies after french. as such, latin is simple
 
Fictilis said:
This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us be glad and rejoice therein!

Whenever someone realizes I am learning Latin, they, most uncharitably attack
the idea of learning Latin, and attack me for learning it. My defense of learning
Latin needs some strengthening. (I am having a good time learning Latin)

When pointed out to them, that they are attacking the concept of learning a
beautiful language they know nothing about, they are silenced; yet I know my
argument can be so much more: that the argument could show them reasons
why learning Latin is lovely (and not just relying on (english) translations of
texts originally written in Latin)

How would you defend, when someone attacks the idea of learning Latin?

Gratias tibi ago
Click to expand...
Latin is the language of Western history. It has legacies in the law (really, some of the early founding documents of English common law were in Latin), medicine, science, need I go on? It helps you understand something beyond mere translation (because translations are not perfect, after all.)
 
Latin is to the English language what Freud is to the science of modern psychology; what Roman civilization is to modern western civilization. You can’t understand western civilization without learning about Roman civilization. Unless you know Freud’s contribution to psychology you won’t get your psych degree. You’ll run head-on into Latin if you study etymology (the study of the origin of words). You won’t avoid learning a ton of Latin in law school. I could go on making comparisons ad nauseum (a Latin phrase!).

For someone to display such ignorance (becoming disagreeable that you’re learning Latin) is frustrating and would be for me, the end of our conversation. They’re so far backward it would take more time than it’s worth to bring them up to speed. Don’t bother feeding pearls to pigs. Say a prayer for them and make more intelligent friends.

Latin is a gorgeous, rich language. Among other prayers, I enjoy praying the rosary in Latin. I wish I had the time to learn it properly.

Take his criticism cum grano salis (with a grain of salt).
 
I never understood English grammar until I learned Latin.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top