The sneaky roundabout way to reintroduce knowledge of Latin

Mithridates   Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:50 am GMT
This is a fairly long post on a sneaky way to reintroduce a passive knowledge of Latin while at the same time promoting a universal second language.

http://www.pagef30.com/2010/02/sneaky-roundabout-way-to-reintroduce.html

The basic idea is that you introduce Occidental/Interlingue (the language created in 1922 that looks similar to Interlingua but IMO was created with a lot more thought behind it) into schools, it's easy to learn and at the same time students walk away with a fairly good knowledge of Latin vocabulary and derivation. Cases and gender wouldn't be included, but it would still make reading ancient texts that much easier much in the same way that your average Italian can sometimes muddle through a text in Latin.

Finalmen, un exemple de Occidental quande on scrir it in un forum. Yo save que in ci forum es trovat mult persones qui ne aprecia "artificial" lingues, ma mem li British Council in su raporte English First scrit que anglés ne va esser li lingue del munde in 2050 (anglés va remaner li max plu usat lingue in li munde, ma ne va devenir li duesim lingue del majorité) e ergo yo pensa que un lingue constructet va esser li sol solution. Dunc, pro quo ne usar un lingue que es facil e adplu have un fort conexion a li lingue usat por mult documentes de historie durante plu quam 2000 annus?
a more original name.   Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:03 pm GMT
I can't see how using a fake romance language would be of any use in reviving Latin. Modern romance speakers cannot understand Latin, they don't have a significantly easier time learning it than Germanic and Slavonic speakers, so having Germanic and Slavonic people learn some Latin vocabulary wouldn't help anything at all.

My own genious plan to revive Latin involves lobbying Latin Union countries to institute obligatory Latin class in schools, set up a standard international Latin conversational and pronunciation guide, have it's own international Latin-radio, promote a Latin literary award and a Latin song festival, and perhaps an international Latin university and science award. There are 37 countries in Latin Union, among them 4 of the world's 10 largest economies (by GDP), so if they pooled resources it wouldn't be too expensive to them.
an even more original nam   Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:46 pm GMT
latin sucks

we don't need that sh*t
Baldewin   Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:56 pm GMT
Ancient Greek is a nicer language in my opinion.
PARISIEN   Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:15 pm GMT
Sans utilité.
Sans intérêt.
Mithridates   Sat Feb 27, 2010 3:57 am GMT
Sans utilité. --> Sin utilitá.
Sans intérêt. --> Sin interesse.

Works for French too.

>My own genious plan to revive Latin involves lobbying Latin Union countries to institute obligatory Latin class in schools, set up a standard international Latin conversational and pronunciation guide, have its own international Latin-radio, promote a Latin literary award and a Latin song festival, and perhaps an international Latin university and science award.

That's not a bad plan. I think there would have to be a new Latin certification test for teachers though, because at the moment Latin teachers are scarce (demand is slowly increasing while a lot of teachers are retiring) and it takes a lot of time to become one. A test administered every six months or so with varying levels of difficulty (like the JLPT - Japanese Language Proficiency Test) could be a good idea. Those that pass a certain level can work as tutors, higher levels can teach introductory classes by themselves, and those that pass the highest level can work as full teachers.
La Hostia   Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:46 am GMT
Latin does not suck. 60% of English vocab comes directly or indirectly from Latin. It's an historical tongue. The first unifying language of the West. It's spectacular. etc.

English:
My woman does not love me. She does not want roses. Without you I am not worthy.

Spanish:
Mi mujer no me ama. Rosas no quiere. Sin ti no valgo!

Italian:
Mia ragazza non mi ama. Rose non vuole. Senza te non valgo!

Classical Latin:
Puella mea me non amat. Rosas non vult. Sine te non valeo!
Franco   Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:04 pm GMT
Despite I studied sciences I took one year of Latin. It was compulsory in Spain some years ago (now Latin has been replaced by teaching homosexuality, leftism, multiculturalism, etc...). I would like also that Greek was taught because Latin is not bad, but Greek is amazing. I wish there were more Greek settlers in Spain so Spain would be a Greek speaking country nowadays.
Baldewin   Mon Mar 01, 2010 2:09 pm GMT
I am a total ignorant about Sanskrit, but that language also looks nice. It's only un-Western and too much studied by these bearded New Age nutters.
La Hostia   Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:40 am GMT
@Baldewin - here is a humble list of words in various tongues. Enjoy!

Sanskirt
Dant, Dana, Nama, Asta/Esta, Nepat, Pitar, Matar

Latin
Dent, Donus, Nome, Est, Nepot, Pater, Mater

English
Teeth, Gift, Name, Is, Nephew, Father, Mother

Spanish
Diente, Don/Regalo/Obsequio, Nombre, Es/Está, Sobrino, Padre, Madre

Italian
Dente, Dono, Nome, È, Nipote, Padre, Madre

Note: in Spanish there exists "nieto" but now relates to "grandson" instead of "nephew".
La Hostia   Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:44 am GMT
@Baldewin - here is a humble list of words in various tongues. Enjoy!

Sanskirt
Dant, Dana, Nama, Asta/Esta, Nepat, Pitar, Matar

Latin
Dent, Donus, Nomen, Est, Nepot, Pater, Mater

English
Tooth, Gift, Name, Is, Nephew, Father, Mother

Spanish
Diente, Don/Regalo/Obsequio, Nombre, Es/Está, Sobrino, Padre, Madre

Italian
Dente, Dono, Nome, È, Nipote, Padre, Madre

Note: in Spanish there exists "nieto" but now relates to "grandson" instead of "nephew".
Baldewin   Wed Mar 03, 2010 10:34 am GMT
To come to think of it. Ancient Greek is also to be considered Eastern and not Western. Even in the Byzantine empire the church of Rome was also considered barbarous (and we indeed did have caused a lot of damage to their civilization).
We have this misconception to view Greek as western because is was studied by the erudites of the Roman empire and because of the knowledge we have excavated from the Renaissance.

I called Sanskrit un-Western, but Ancient Greek can certainly also be called such. The New Age hippies though, are a phenomenon I highly deplore, for they don't promote Sanskrit in my opinion.
La Hostia   Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:32 pm GMT
@ Baldewin

Well said.
Franco   Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:17 pm GMT
Ancient Greek is as Western as a language can be.
Thor   Wed Mar 03, 2010 7:06 pm GMT
Si il faut s'intéresser aux vieilleries, autant relever un vrai challenge : l'égyptien ancien.