# Poll: Did you learn Latin in high school? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765 "2004-06-29T20:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/41 "2004-06-30T00:45:51Z")
> [@LaurAnge](#): > > 1. Did you learn Latin in high school? > 2. In what year did you graduate high school? > 3. Where did you go to high school (region, city and country is fine, I don’t need the exact name)? I took 3 years of Latin in High School. I failed my second year of French and decided to try something new. I graduated in 1990 from Brockton High in MA. (USA) ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/42 "2004-06-30T00:48:22Z")
1. Yes, for 2 years. Other language options were French, Spanish, or German, but my mother insisted that I must take Latin. 2. 1982 3. Lexington, KY. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/43 "2004-06-30T01:19:39Z")
> [@KRC](#): > > 1. Yes, for 2 years. Other language options were French, Spanish, or German, but my mother insisted that I must take Latin. > > 2. 1982 > > 3. Lexington, KY. 1)No - it was not offered 2)1976 3)Boyle County KY (which is why I quoted **KRC** - 30 miles made a huge difference back then in what kind of education Kentuckians received.) ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/44 "2004-06-30T01:54:43Z")
So far, I’ve taken Latin for five years. This coming year will be my sixth. I’m going to graduate in 2005. I go to a public school in Kansas City, Missouri. ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/45 "2004-06-30T02:31:48Z")
1. Yes; 9th, 10th, 11th grades (spanish and french were also offered) 2. 1977 3. Massachusetts, public school, about 20 miles west of Boston ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/46 "2004-06-30T02:48:51Z")
yep I took it in 10th and 11th 2003 public school Augusta, Ga Ubi fuistis vos pueri mali? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/47 "2004-06-30T03:12:11Z")
1. No 2. 1976 3. Missouri Even if I wanted to take Latin, I wouldn’t have been able to. They had finally stopped offering the class due to lack of interest. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/48 "2004-06-30T03:25:22Z")
1. No (it was offered, I wanted to take it, but my parents discouraged me, and I opted, instead, for French. Actually, I’m glad I did.) 2. 1993 3. Chicago, IL ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/49 "2004-06-30T03:36:02Z")
I was in the last generation of Catholic Altar Boys who hasd to memorize the Mass in Latin. I got interested, and started studying on my own (“Latin made Simple”). When I got to Junior High, Latin was offered, so I took it. I also took it the next year, even though, in order to take it, they had to perform gyrations getting me out of Bio Lab. They had troubl scraping together enough people for the class. I got pretty good. I ranslated part of Plautus’ **Menaechmi** , and even went as far as trying to translate Martial’s **Epigrams** – that shows my ambitions. It’s all rusted into immobility due to inactivity, though. I graduated high school in 1973, in New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/50 "2004-06-30T04:03:11Z")
1. Yes, in grades 9 and 10. (The other option was Greek. And I could have continued in grades 11 and/or 12, or taken a modern language. I chose French and Spanish.) 2. 1999 3. A private high school in Boston. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/51 "2004-06-30T04:15:40Z")
[1) Did you learn Latin in high school? No. 2) In what year did you graduate high school? 1977 3) Where did you go to high school (region, city and country is fine, I don’t need the exact name)? Anchorage, Alaska, USA ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/52 "2004-06-30T04:15:51Z")
No (I think it was offered, but I’m not sure) 1989 near Dayton, Ohio ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/53 "2004-06-30T04:32:47Z")
Yep! 1998 Jericho, Vermont ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/54 "2004-06-30T05:10:40Z")
1/ Not in High School, but I did two years in Primary School, not sure if that counts for your purposes 2/ 1972 3/ Sydney, Australia ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/55 "2004-06-30T05:49:13Z")
Yes (1993-1997) 1997 Suburban Massachusetts I even used to participate in these silly Latin Olympiads. ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/56 "2004-06-30T07:15:42Z")
I took Latin in 9th and 10th grade. We got at least as far as the ablative absolute, but the teacher’s Latin didn’t seem quite up to the task of helping us translate Caesar, so the second year soon faded to watered-down “Roman history” taught in English. I switched to Spanish and learned more. The Latin was great for my English grammar, and made learning Spanish, German, and French a lot easier. Graduated in 1985 from a public high school in Chillicothe, Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/57 "2004-06-30T07:25:46Z")
Yes - it was my second elective subject, along with History Graduated 1988 A whites-only government school in Cape Town, South Africa Grim ---
**Author:** ![Daftbugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Daftbugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daftbugger)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/58 "2004-06-30T10:11:46Z")
Yep, from ages 11-13 (years 7-9) 1989-1992 I finished secondary school in 1996 I went to school in Wolverhampton, England ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/59 "2004-06-30T10:37:48Z")
1. No, but it was offered. Since half my family’s in France, French was much more useful. 2. 1990 3. Public school in northwest suburban Boston. Mix of blue and white-collar. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765/60 "2004-06-30T11:09:11Z")
1. Yes, I studied Latin and ancient Greek. 2. I graduated HS in 1979 3. Jeffersonville HS, J’ville, IN Like others here, my study of Latin continued into college, and my I.S. thesis was a translation of three sermons by Alain De Lille, a 12th century professor of theology at the Sorbonne, accompanied by an 100-page survey of the evolution of medieval higher education from solely training candidates for the priesthood to including the secular professions, such as law and medicine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-did-you-learn-latin-in-high-school/252765.md?page=4)