Man, it's always something!

[Ella S.]

I have learned on can go thru med school in your 20s...or just wait decades and as maladies occur to you and your friends ...you can learn all their Latin namea then!

Knowing Latin makes some of the names unintentionally humorous. For a non-medical example, the Tyrannosaurus Rex basically means "King (Tyranus) King (Saurus) King (Regis)"

Although, to be fair, a more generous translation could be "King of the Tyrant Chiefs" which sounds a lot more fitting.

 

[wil]

Knowing Latin makes some of the names unintentionally humorous. For a non-medical example, the Tyrannosaurus Rex basically means "King (Tyranus) King (Saurus) King (Regis)"

Although, to be fair, a more generous translation could be "King of the Tyrant Chiefs" which sounds a lot more fitting.

Between medical, study of plants and animals, science, history, religion and law...latin should be a required.language imo

 

[Ella S.]

Between medical, study of plants and animals, science, history, religion and law...latin should be a required.language imo

It certainly comes in handy. I know it was common in British schools for awhile to have a Latin class.

I'm not conversational or fluent in Latin, though, most of my experience has been ecclesiastical or doing translations. I actually think Russian and Chinese are more important to learn because they're world superpowers with vastly different cultures, although my partner that I was learning Russian with dipped out on me when they invaded the Ukraine.

 

[wil]

I see the value in intl languages... I just see that learning Latin helps with understanding English...one can decipher 5 syllable words as well as medical, science and legal terms

 

[RJM]

We did Latin at school, but as soon as I was allowed to give-up a subject I dropped it. It seemed like rote-learning of conjunctions etc, at the time. I dropped history too because it was rote-learning of dates. Neither subject seemed to go anywhere for me. Perhaps it was the way the subjects were taught ...

 

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

I see the value in intl languages... I just see that learning Latin helps with understanding English...one can decipher 5 syllable words as well as medical, science and legal terms

I took Latin in high school, a couple of years with Spanish simultaneously. The two languages hepled me see the relationships between each other better than the actual teachers (especially the Spanish teacher [the less said about him, the better!)

Another thing, which Latin are you talking about? I'm having an interesting discussion with someone about the different branches of Latin (after a rant about a bad rollplayer claimed that she was fluent in Latin, and the lady I'm "chatting" with is working on her post-graduate studies in the different branches of Latin, complete with several text-/reference books!)

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

 

[RJM]

I think the Latin they tried to teach me was classical and ecclesiastical -- it being a Catholic boys school, lol. But I appreciate the value of Latin. It's concise and holds the roots of so many modern words and there are many Latin phrases still in use, that lack the same edge of meaning in translation, imo

 

[muhammad_isa]

We did Latin at school, but as soon as I was allowed to give-up a subject I dropped it. It seemed like rote-learning of conjunctions etc, at the time. I dropped history too because it was rote-learning of dates. Neither subject seemed to go anywhere for me. Perhaps it was the way the subjects were taught ...

Me too..
Agriculum / Agriculae
I like history now .. but then I don't have to take any exams

 

[Ella S.]

We did Latin at school, but as soon as I was allowed to give-up a subject I dropped it. It seemed like rote-learning of conjunctions etc, at the time. I dropped history too because it was rote-learning of dates. Neither subject seemed to go anywhere for me. Perhaps it was the way the subjects were taught ...

This is a major issue with most Latin classes, yes. I took Latin class and it's annoying.

Most of my deeper understanding of Latin comes from Rosetta Stone and doing a lot of manual translations of older Latin texts, mostly grimoires or Latin masses or prayers. You end up getting a more natural feel for the conjugation that way and learn a lot of words and phrases more organically.

I agree with you about history, too, it was always my least favorite class in school for that reason.

 

[Thomas]

I think the Latin they tried to teach me was classical and ecclesiastical -- it being a Catholic boys school...

My school too, we read 'Ceasar's Gallic Wars', among others.

I said I wanted to do history, so I was 'obliged' to do Latin, which I never got the hang of, and was flogged every Friday for a year!

To do an MA at Maryvale required passable Latin or Greek, so I decided not to pursue it.

As my theological interest is more in line with the Greek Fathers, I talked to a tutor about it. He teaches Latin and Greek at the Dominican college in Oxford. We spoke about my favourite saint, St Maximos – and he said he's spent about three hours deciphering the meaning of one word. To understand how Maximos treats it requires hunting through his every use of the term in his entire corpus, as well as how the term was understood by his contemporaries, etc., etc. In short, it's not at all easy.

OTOH, apparently, St Thomas Aquinas wrote his Summas in 'classroom' Latin. Very easy, very accessible.

I have the Periphyseon of Eriugena – 4 volumes hardback, Latin on one page, English on the other ...

And in my other hobby (Japanese history) have translation programmes and dictionaries to do the heavy lifting – all my research is on Japanese-language sites.

 

[Ella S.]

My school too, we read 'Ceasar's Gallic Wars', among others.

I said I wanted to do history, so I was 'obliged' to do Latin, which I never got the hang of, and was flogged every Friday for a year!

To do an MA at Maryvale required passable Latin or Greek, so I decided not to pursue it.

As my theological interest is more in line with the Greek Fathers, I talked to a tutor about it. He teaches Latin and Greek at the Dominican college in Oxford. We spoke about my favourite saint, St Maximos – and he said he's spent about three hours deciphering the meaning of one word. To understand how Maximos treats it requires hunting through his every use of the term in his entire corpus, as well as how the term was understood by his contemporaries, etc., etc. In short, it's not at all easy.

OTOH, apparently, St Thomas Aquinas wrote his Summas in 'classroom' Latin. Very easy, very accessible.

I have the Periphyseon of Eriugena – 4 volumes hardback, Latin on one page, English on the other ...

And in my other hobby (Japanese history) have translation programmes and dictionaries to do the heavy lifting – all my research is on Japanese-language sites.

Ah, yes, Summa Theologica. That's a great choice for learning intermediate Latin, in my opinion, for the reason you point out.

It's also just a good read in general and gives one a decent insight into Western philosophy.

 

[wil]

We have a local college where everyone gets a classical dedication...everyone takes the same classes...freshman is Greek and you read all the Greek classics in Greek. I think Latin is soohmore year.

 

[Thomas]

It's also just a good read in general and gives one a decent insight into Western philosophy.

The Socratic method!

My course director told us of someone he met who was an expert on Aquinas, an atheist. He explained that he doesn't believe in the God of Aquinas, but Aquinas argues his case brilliantly!