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We’ve all heard people exclaim “It’s a dead language, no one speaks it anymore! What’s the point?” when referring to the learning of Latin or Ancient Greek in schools. Learning these languages has often been associated with the upper echelons of society, only available to those in public, or even some grammar, schools. Although many people think that the learning of a modern language might be the key to career success after education, dead languages are also important, just in more subtle ways.

The influence

There are around 42 languages that take some influence from Latin. Although Ancient Greek doesn’t directly impact on modern languages the way that Latin does, it would be impossible to deny the significance that it has had as the basis of our civilisation.

Roughly 60% of all English words and 90% of technical and scientific terms are derived from ancient Greek and Latin.

This means that learning Latin will help to increase a person’s vocabulary. Latin and Ancient Greek were adopted as the ‘lingua franca’ for many different fields, such as science, medicine, and philosophy. As a result, words across different languages are incredibly similar, or share the same root, due to the influence of Latin and Ancient Greek in the past.

The impact a ‘dead’ language can have on the mind

When asked, many people probably couldn’t give a full explanation of what a verb or noun is, let alone a gerund. Learning a ‘dead’ language gives the understanding of the mechanics and the structure of a language, to a greater extent than learning any modern language can.

When learning Latin or Ancient Greek, you are truly able to learn what grammar is.

Latin and Ancient Greek have very strict forms of grammar and syntax. Therefore when learning to read and write in these languages, it is vital to think clearly and logically. Thinking carefully and analytically is the key to completely understanding the languages. These traits are often more valued in the sciences, however studying these languages dispels the rumours that languages simply require learning rules and exceptions, and that there is no discernible logic behind them.

Literary classics

Ancient Greek literature is regarded as a key influence on modern day literature, as its framework was adopted by Latin literature, which was then adopted by European literature. Being known for the amazing writings that have come in this language, it would be intriguing to read them in their first language.

Although translations do indeed get the point of the literature across, it is best to truly appreciate any work of literature in the original language. When literature is read in its source language, readers are able to gain a greater sense of understanding of the work, and they are able to appreciate why certain words were chosen, and the depth of meaning behind those words.

Greek and Latin in modern language

Although we constantly hear that Ancient Greek and Latin have shaped our language, it’s not always obvious. Here are a few examples to show you how ‘ordinary’ words, that we use every day, have their foundation in these languages:

The ‘cras’ in procrastinate means ‘tomorrow’ in Latin.

Democracy comes from ‘demos’ meaning ‘people’, and ‘kratos’ meaning ‘rule’ in Greek.

‘Scopos’, meaning ‘watcher’ in Greek, is where we derive words such as scope or microscope.

‘Phobia’ comes from the Greek ‘phobos’, meaning ‘fear’.

‘Lingua’ means ‘language’ in Latin, giving us words such as ‘linguistics’ and ‘lingual’.

‘Aqua’ means ‘water’ in Latin, and is the root of many words such as; ‘aquatics’, ‘aquarium’ and ‘aqueduct’.

As you can see, these two languages have shaped our own more than we can ever imagine. It is incredibly worthwhile studying them, as it enables us to see the bigger picture, of how our language fits together.

The case for learning them

Ancient Greek and Latin are not popular subjects to learn at school, if they are even offered at all; they require significant time and effort to master their intricacies. However, learning these languages not only sets you apart from the crowd, it can also enable a greater degree of success.

Mark Zuckerberg considers Latin to be one of the keys to his success, and as a man worth tens of billions of dollars, it might be wise to follow in his footsteps.