Learning Latin is fun and can help you learn other languages too
The romantic languages such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian all descend from Latin. A lot of vocabulary and grammar is similar between these languages.
Photo by Kevin Wong Flickr photostream
Many English words can be traced back to Latin origins, either directly or via the Romance languages so English speakers will find many familiar words in Latin – Latin is a must for English etymologists!
Studying Latin
Studying Latin requires the analysis of the grammatical structure of sentences (or “syntax”) – once you have learnt this, it is useful to apply when learning, teaching, or analysing any language.
Latin gets its meaning from the word endings rather than the word order, so each sentence is like a puzzle to decode which can be fun to do and satisfying when you finally reveal the meaning.
Examples of familiar Latin phrases
- Yearly – per annum
- Solid ground – Terra firma
- With reference to – re
Latin Gives insight into Classical Civilisation
Learning Latin also gives you an insight into the classical civilisation of the Roman Empire: the way of life, the culture, arts, mythology, philosophy, even the battles. The works of renowned thinkers and writers such as Cicero, Virgil and Ovid were written in Latin and in turn greatly influenced Western art and literature throughout the ages.
Latin was used as a Language of Learning during Medieval Period
Latin was used as a language of learning during the medieval period throughout Europe and Ecclesiastical Latin remains the official language of the Catholic Church today.
Due to its important status in Europe for centuries, Latin can often be found in inscriptions on the walls of cathedrals or on monuments, on objects of art, archaeology and in manuscripts – learning this language gives you the opportunity to decipher these messages, offering a glimpse into another world.
Would you like to learn Latin?
We now have a qualified and dedicated Latin Teacher at Accent Language School. João Alves will be Teaching Latin at our offices in Commercial Arcade, St Peter Port.
