# Everybody who speaks Latin is dead **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 30, 2000, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-who-speaks-latin-is-dead/18180 "2000-04-30T18:22:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-who-speaks-latin-is-dead/18180/61 "2000-05-03T18:39:55Z")
**Akatsukami** wrote: > [@](#): > > Thus not only is Latin the language of Dead White European Males, it is almost the essence of DWEMness. Thus, a conspiracy by definition. Plus, did you ever notice that the very word _oppression_ comes from the Latin? **opprimo, opprimere, oppressi, oppressum** – to keep 'em down Coincidence? Don’t be a fool! Rome never fell, they’re living in undermountain compounds where they add floride to our drinking water so that we’ll have strong teeth with which we can oppress women and minorities. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-who-speaks-latin-is-dead/18180/62 "2000-05-03T22:25:36Z")
If one is to consider the importance of each language based upon how widely it is spoken, one should also consider the economic importance of a language. An owner of a major translation firm that I spoke to six months ago stated that English was first and Spanish was a close second. > [@](#): > > . Latin students I know are always talking about how important it is to learn the meaning of roots in English. I say, Yeah, it is important. It is why you should pay attention in English class. Latin gives you a chance at a “classical” English education that one does not typically receive in public education. It is the “New English.” Studying Latin will also probably give you a chance to interact with some academically inclined members of your student body. For instance, 14 of 18 students in “The Doc’s” Latin 3 class last year were NHS compared to a school average close to 1/36. And Latin Club beat Spanish Honor Society’s ass in bowling! ---
**Author:** ![SDP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SDP)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-who-speaks-latin-is-dead/18180/63 "2000-05-03T23:19:35Z")
**Boris B scripsit:** > [@](#): > > This is what I was trying to refute. I agree about the Romans’ architecture and engineering being very influential. As to the rest of it, I think the Romans are a drop in the bucket. I’m sure there were some great Roman political thinkers (I mean, as distinct from great Roman politicians), but I don’t know if they really match up to Machiavelli or Plato. > > Traditional Norse law provided the foundation for English common law, which is one of the things which makes Britain and the U.S. distinct from continental Europe, with its Romanesque tradition of civil law. I simply don’t agree that Latin influenced English more than Norse did. In terms of your assertion that Greek is just as important as Latin, I agree. Greek and Latin go hand in hand for me. So much of Greek culture, language, and ideas were absorbed by the Romans, and to a lesser degree vice-versa. To claim that Norse is as important and has affected us as much as Latin and the Romans have…I disagree, strongly. During the Renaissance, what was rediscovered were classical ideas for the most part, on a wide variety of subjects. From whence did these come? From the Romans and Greeks. Classical thoughts on art, architecture, and philosophy all were revived. Besides common law, what comes from the Norse that still influences us strongly today? While you may be able to provide some examples, I strongly believe that more comes from the classical Mediterranean world than from that of the Norse. There certainly were many great Roman political thinkers…for example, Caesar (read _The Gaellic Wars_ if you’re interested in his ideas, preferably in the original Latin ;)) In terms of your assertion about Norse influence on common law, I will take your word for it, however, the Greeks and Romans influenced our modern law practices _very_ strongly. In addition, how about our language? I have heard estimates that words with Latin and Greek roots in the English language as high as 45%, with the bulk of the remainder from German. So the Romans certainly influenced our language a lot more than the Norse did. I do not really believe that any other ancient civilization, be it the Norse, Mongols, Mayas, whatever, had as much influence on modern Western life and thinking as that of the Greeks and Romans. ---
**Author:** ![SDP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SDP)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-who-speaks-latin-is-dead/18180/64 "2000-05-03T23:33:39Z")
Why Shakespeare? From: [http://www.wilton.net/histeng.htm](http://www.wilton.net/histeng.htm) > [@](#): > > Shakespeare probably had more influence on the English language than any other individual. He coined some 2,000 words and countless catch-phrases are his. Newcomers to Shakespeare are often shocked at the number of cliches contained in his plays, until they realize that he coined them and they became cliches afterwards. “One fell swoop,” “vanish into thin air,” and “flesh and blood” are all Shakespeare’s. Words he bequeathed to the language include “critical,” “leapfrog,” “majestic,” “dwindle,” and “pedant.” Shakespeare, coming at the beginning of the modern era, defined the language like no other. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2000, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-who-speaks-latin-is-dead/18180/65 "2000-05-07T00:36:23Z")
A beginner Spanish student is probably going to have a funny accent, same as any language that has living native speakers. On the other foot, anybody who makes even a half-assed attempt at learning Latin can feel reasonably assured that nobody will ever make fun of his accent. 😃 Now I’ll be able to get some sleep. * * * Manual sig line #22 ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2000, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-who-speaks-latin-is-dead/18180/66 "2000-05-07T02:40:17Z")
Oh-ho, **opus** , it’s evident you don’t hang around with the early music crowd! There are indeed people who’ll make fun of you for singing German Latin motets with French Latin pronunciation and a myriad other spoken-Latin _faux pas_. Not to mention that the classicists are always on the alert for false quantities (although that’s not really a problem with accent _per se_). Don’t relax too much just yet… 🙂 Kimstu ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-who-speaks-latin-is-dead/18180/67 "2000-05-08T20:09:49Z")
**Kimstu** wrote: > [@](#): > > Oh-ho, opus, it’s evident you don’t hang around with the early music crowd! There are indeed people who’ll make fun of you for singing German Latin motets with French Latin pronunciation and a myriad other spoken-Latin faux pas. Yes, and let’s not forget the Churchy Latin vs. the Roman Latin schism. Me, I go for the hard c’s and the soft v’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-who-speaks-latin-is-dead/18180.md?page=3)