Latin language FAQ

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Question: Why learn Latin?

The usual reasons given for learning Latin include two main themes: 

First, all the European languages incorporate a Latin component to a greater or lesser extent. This is particularly true of the Romance languages (see below) but it is also true of English, which despite its Germanic origins, has directly assimilated a huge fund of Latin words, especially through legal, ecclesiastical and scientific sources. A further enormous stock of Latin-based words has come indirectly from the Romance languages, especially French. A feeling for Latin therefore deepens our understanding of the origins and correct application of our own language.

Second, because Latin is an old language, it retains a well-defined grammatical structure with genders, noun-inflections and verb forms which have largely disappeared from English. This provides an excellent preparatory grounding for English-speakers who can otherwise be disadvantaged when they approach other European languages, most of which have retained more of these older grammatical features.

There is a third reason, which is that Latin is making something of a come-back. Whatever the reasons for this, there is a steady and apparently growing interest in learning Latin and there are even internet sites which now publish news and announcements in Latin. Whether it could ever recover its status as the lingua franca of the educated classes is debatable, though, given the cost and wastage involved in translating the many official languages of the European Union, Latin in some form would be an interesting contender for the role of a single official language. Linguata Latin aims to provide an introduction to speaking and using Latin, by offering a variety of examples and usages.

Question: How should Latin be pronounced?

This depends on the context. Latin in current use tends to reflect the speech patterns of the speaker, so, for instance, the vowels of 'English' Latin will usually be different from those of 'French' or 'German' Latin, as will some consonants such as 'c', and the semi-consonants 'u' and 'i'. Church Latin, Roman Catholic in particular, approximates to 'Italian' Latin; scientific terminology is perhaps more continental in style.
A great deal is known about how the Romans themselves would have pronounce classical Latin but attempts to approximate to this when pronouncing Latin in a contemporary setting are misguided. This is strictly for the specialist. 'English' Latin has its own conventions and straying beyond these is for the pedant. This is particularly true for the pronunciation of 'v' which represented a 'w' sound to the ancient Romans but took on its present sound after the end of the classical period. Several generations of English schoolchildren were taught to read 'v' as 'w' but the effect was never pleasing to the English ear. The speaker should feel free to follow his or her own inclinations in this matter.