And also in Italy, but don't speak Italian mamma mia! Try speaking Latin. You know the basis to all the romance languages. Tons of languages borrow from Latin and can be used to quickly learn another language. For example, library. In Latin it's bibliotheca. In Spanish and Italian it's biblioteca. Easy enough. You understand those weird things on coins, college banners, and degrees. Don't even get me started on college banners And graduating "summa cum laude"; the literal translation is the topmost with merit.
The pope! Yes, the pope can speak Latin. Having followed the preceding steps, you will be able to communicate in Latin. You will soon realize that given your ability to speak Latin, you will understand ancient Latin texts much better than before.
People speaking Latin are in a position to experience the works of classical Latin authors in a more natural way. You will be able to understand large parts of Latin literature at first sight without analyzing the grammar sentence by sentence or consulting a dictionary. You will live and breathe Latin rather than just translate it. Books from the series Lingua latina per se illustrata Photo: Casa editrice Vivarium novum.
You might wonder if learning to speak Latin really makes sense even though the Latin speaking population has all but disappeared. European languages such as French, German or English have replaced Latin as official languages in their respective countries. These modern languages were rough and primitive at first, but have matured over time so that scholars and scientists became able to discuss topics such as science, philosophy and art in these new languages instead of Latin.
However, bear in mind that Latin has been the common language, or lingua franca , of the Western world for many centuries, allowing people from different places and cultures to communicate with each other effectively. More importantly, a large part of our literature was originally written in Latin and only later translated to modern languages such as English.
Having to translate a text sentence by sentence makes it impossible to truly enjoy authors such as Cicero, Virgil or Petrarca. Many of us were tortured with Latin conjugation and declination tables in school or university. Speaking Latin allows us to rediscover the joy of reading the great classical Latin works that we already know, connecting with them on a deeper level.
Another reason for learning to speak Latin is that you will get to know people from all over the world. Speaking Latin is becoming popular in China! Many find it more interesting to socialize in Latin rather than English, as Latin speakers share a common interest in the culture and history behind the language. For example, the first two books of the Harry Potter series have been translated to Latin and there are movies and TV series such as Barbarians on Netflix in which Latin is heard.
Unfortunately, these works are often fraught with grammatical and stylistic errors, as there are few people who have a sound knowledge of spoken Latin. Youtube content can't be displayed with your current cookie settings. Get more info in the Youtube Privacy Policy. Opt-out here at any time cookie setting.
The video shows one of the world's most fluent Latin speakers, Luigi Miraglia. Some people are obsessed with pronouncing Latin words exactly as the Romans did. However, we do not know exactly how the Romans pronounced Latin. There are only theories, albeit scientifically sound ones. We do not see the benefit of chasing an ideal that does not improve our actual use of Latin.
We find cultivating a good style of expression much more important. That said, there are two main ways of pronouncing Latin, the so-called classical pronunciation and the eccesiastical pronunciation. Here is a summary of the main differences:. There is no single truth of how Latin should be pronounced. After all, the pronunciation of the language has changed throughout the ages. Choose the pronunciation that you are comfortable with and focus on improving your style and vocabulary rather than obsessing about pronunciation.
There is one important point that is not up to personal preference: the accent. You should take great care to place the accent where it belongs. As you see, the position of the accent is crucial for distinguishing between similar words.
If your goal is to speak Latin well, focus on the accent rather than the two systems of pronunciation. The only nation where Latin is an official language and spoken actively is the headquarters of the Catholic Church, the Vatican. Quick links. Board index Textkit Community Open Board. Defining fluency in Latin and Ancient Greek Textkit is a learning community- introduce yourself here. Use the Open Board to introduce yourself, chat about off-topic issues and get to know each other.
Would we define it using different criteria due to the fact that the majority of people who have knowledge in the two languages in question do not actively use the languages in question? I refuse to use the term "dead language" when talking about Latin or Greek Even now, almost at the very beginnings of my Latin studies, I have written "salvete" at the beginning and will undoubtedly write "valete" at the end.
To return to the actual topic, do we define fluency for the two languages in question differently from how we would define fluency in French or German? I realise that our definitions of fluency in even French or German would be different. For me, fluency is the ability to read, write, listen and speak the language at a reasonably complex level without undue need to pause for thought.
I would define a "reasonably complex level" in reading terms as being able to read a newspaper while understanding the majority of its content. At this point I hesitate, as I don't know if my definition would be considered sensible with regards to Latin or Ancient Greek. I would very much like to hear your opinions on the matter. Does fluency in Latin and Ancient Greek require a different definition from fluency in French or German?
In languages such as French and German it is very easy to listen to the accents of native speakers and attempt to imitate them as much as possible. Although I know of very few people who have studied a second language and attained a degree of fluency equal to their mother tongue, I think it's very much possible. With Latin, though, it's obviously not, as the last native Latin speakers are long gone. Does this hinder our definition of fluency in Latin at all? Gratias maximas ob responda et cogitata.
Gratiam habeo. Re: Defining fluency in Latin and Ancient Greek Post by Rhodopeius » Mon Feb 23, am I think your definition based on reading, writing, speaking, and understanding is pretty reasonable for all languages, contemporary and ancient.
With Latin, I'm just very careful in how I describe my level of attainment to others. Yet it's not overly ostentatious. I'm not about to tell people I've mastered Latin until I can look at a randomly given text and tell you who wrote it and break it down its style and nuances, translate it literally spontaneously, and compose a written translation that reflects the prose or verse style of the original. Ambitious, but that's why I'm not even close to claiming mastery.
As for speaking it colloquially, I don't do it but there are those who do. Scott Sumrall. I think this may be likened to modes of getting somewhere well. Consider a man that is able to use every mode walking, bus, car, airplane, train, etc. He may have more options and convenience, but nevertheless the man that may only have one way may still use it well enough to get places well too. In likewise, a man that only knows how to read the language well still has a fluency of using and experiencing it, even if in a more limited way.
It is just as legitimately a manner of fluency in using the language as being able to use it well in every way.
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