I’d have to plead ignorance on this topic–I graduated from high school in 1967, and took French. But, are there some, among the Teeming Millions, who took Latin in high school? *Nonne intelligis? * (Remember, *I *didn’t take Latin.)
I have not taken Latin, but I can assure you that others still take it and they are the scientists who specialize in the life sciences. All dinosaurs have Latin names, for example (“Tyrannosaurus rex” means “tyrant lizard king”, “triceratops” means “three-horned face”, just to name two). And all biologists know Latin in order to distinguish species, and let’s not forget medicine!!
Both my brothers did. I picked some up just by osmosis, and took a semester in college.
I like it in that it can give you a bit of a grip on Romance languages (languages that have evolved from Latin), and a lot of help in vocabulary.
Sola bona lingua est mortua lingua!
“I’m surprised that you’ve never been told before, that you’re lovely, that you’re perfect, and that somebody wants you.” - Semisonic, f.n.p
Golly…and my chosen field is law… De minimis non curat lex!
“If you drive an automobile, please drive carefully–because I walk in my sleep.”–Victor Borge
Many historians learn Latin as well, partially because if you want to study European history you have to read Latin to do any sort of serious research and partially for the shear hell of it.
Now there’s a straight line! 
I take Latin right now (12th grade). No reason, it’s just kinda fun…
Actually, the real reason I take it is the history. All of modern history has its roots in the classics. Reading Cicero’s orations and Sallust’s commentaries on the Catilinarian conspiracy can give you real insight into nationalism and treason over the centuries.
And then there’s the pure literary value of the thing. Catullus is, to my mind, one of the greatest poets of all time–“Ave atque Vale” is my favorite, as well as “Passer”–and I took my member name from the father of Latin poetry.
Yes, intellectualism is still alive in the schools!
course, now that i think of it, my priest hasn’t given a High Mass recently, so I’ll bet he doesn’t know Latin. Or at leat more than, say, Dominus Vobiscum.
Oh, Ennius, I’m sure your priest knows some Latin. After all, it is taught in the seminary, isn’t it?
My WAG as a short list to who would need to know some Latin today would be those in the following fields:
-History
-Genealogy
-Theology (not just priests!)
-Medicine
-Diplomacy
-Law
-Romance Languages
I agree with jab1. I have a heavy biology background and all scientific names of animals are in latin… and when translated from latin tell you much about the creature just by the scientific name, it is usually a documented genus name and a descriptive latin name. Not always, but most of the time.
The wisest man I ever knew taught me something I never forgot. And although I never forgot it, I never quite memorized it either. So what I’m left with is the memory of having learned
something very wise that I can’t quite remember. -George Carlin
I have 3 children that are currently taking a third year of latin in HS.
They must only learn to read and write latin…it is not being taught as a spoken language at their school…
Contestant #3
You also need Latin if you’re going to study medieval or Renaissance literature, and it doesn’t hurt for later periods as well.
“Succurrite, succurrite, horribilis heffalumpus! Hoff, hoff, hellibilis horralumpus! Holl, holl, hoffabilis hellerumpus!”
Hmm after i master Spanish, Maybe I will tackle Latin (or Japanese, or Portuguese, or Mandarin, I dont know :)). However, most people who know Romance languages have somewhat of an advantage. I can still tell quite a few of the meanings for some Latin words because I know the equivalents in Spanish (not much but some ;)).
I would also think some botanists would learn Latin because the classification system for plants is Latin (though botanical Latin is new Latin mind you).
As has been pointed out, not just priests learn Latin for the study of theology or to work in the Vatican. Lay people (i.e., non-priests) learn Latin in these cases, also.
Also note that Latin is not a dead language. It is spoken regularly and fluently in the Vatican State and new words are being coined all the time (they had to have a Latin word for compter after all). It’s just that Latin is no longer anyone’s first or native toungue.
Although, there are signs that Latin is dying even in the Catholic Church. Some of the newer Vatican documents are being composed and promulgated in a language other than Latin (e.g., the Catechism of the Catholic Church was composed in French). And not only are the Vatican II generation of priests no longer taught in Latin, the Latin they do take is very minimal. Rare it is to find a priest under 50 who can really read or speak Latin.
(Keep in mind that even before Vatican II days, many priests’ knowledge of Latin was far from fluent. They spent most of their lives simply reading the Latin text in front of them. This did not require fluency or understanding to simply pronounce what you see.)
Peace.
There was a young fellow named Rex
With diminutive organs of sex
When charged with exposure
He replied with composure
De minimus non cureat lex.
I want to read a love poem froma guy to a girl in latin. Someone have one? thx
Regularly and fluently in the Vatican State? LOL! Please post your research into how the following languaages are spoken there and to what degree:
- Italina
- French
- English
- Latin
At our school we have a Society for Ancient Languages, which is one of the most active on campus. We have not only student and faculty members, we also have members from the community at large. It attracts all kinds of people, from poets to engineers.
As to what Moriah said, our Dr. Gerberding once mentioned that he personally knows a guy whose job it is to make up new Latin words for modern things, such as traffic jams. Unfortunately, I don’t know what any of them are.
For Handy, here’s a good Latin love poem, from Catullus:
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum seueriorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit breuis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus inuidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
Never one to miss the chance to pass on a strange web site, there are now recordings of Elvis songs in Latin, featuring things like Tenere Me Ama (“Love Me Tender”), Nunc Aeternitatis (“Surrender”), Non Adamare Non Possum (“Can’t Help Falling In Love”), and of course, Impossibile (“It’s Impossible”)
http://bolchazy.com/cat/elvis.html
“You can’t run away forever; but there’s nothing wrong with getting a good head start.” — Jim Steinman
Dennis Matheson — Dennis@mountaindiver.com
Hike, Dive, Ski, Climb — www.mountaindiver.com
And just what (said the linguistics major) do you suppose is the definition of a dead language? Yup.