Comments on: Net helps resuscitate a "dead" language

Considered a "dead" language for at least a century, Latin is experiencing its most stunning renaissance since the Enlightenment--compliments of the Internet.

[dubitator]

ego ambulare non studio...

[ScottMo]

"Dead language?" The only good language is a dead language.
Seriously though, over 12,000 high school students took the Latin AP exam last year. It doesn't appear the statement "seldom heard outside of Roman Catholic High Masses in ethnic urban enclaves" rings true.

Website of the American Classical League.
http://www.aclclassics.org/

[laithahmad]

plz i need help,to translate aletter in latin plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz(in English)
****************************
eipes pos den noiazese ,,alla oi praxeis sou mou deixnoun alla,,to xero pos deiliazeis ,,alla elpizo sto telos na paradotheis ,,eisai ta panta gia mena ,,that kano ypomomi kai that se perimeno ...
tha perimeno ,,xeimonas the geno ,,ston grizo ourano ,,mexri na erthei kalokairi ,,tha perimeno
*******************************************88
what thats mean ????????????????????????

[Rithban]

laithahmad,

That's not Latin, but ???????? (modern Greek) written with Latin letters. ????? ??? ??? ????????? is how it should look. It's so-so Greek (e.g. noiazese should be se noiazei), but it's nice to see somebody trying. It message starts out saying, "You say that it doesn't matter to you, but your actions say otherwise?"

Latin is a core part of our Western heritage. If we continue denigrating Western culture, then Latin will die out to the extent that we forget our past. Hopefully we'll realize that our culture and heritage is something we can be proud of. Cultural suicide may be PC, but it's still stupid.

(I only know bits and pieces of Latin, but have learned ancient and modern Greek.)

[SofiaMatthews]

So very true! The Latin language magically arose from the dead. Where it was nowhere to be found in daily life, i see Latin phrases every day on the internet. I'm sure we'll be seeing more Latin back in our daily lives in the near future. For translation needs you could use [url]http://www.english-latin.com/[/url] or some other translation site if you don't know your way in the Latin jungle :)

[SofiaMatthews]

So very true! The Latin language magically arose from the dead. Where it was nowhere to be found in daily life, i see Latin phrases every day on the internet. I'm sure we'll be seeing more Latin back in our daily lives in the near future. For translation needs you could use http://www.english-latin.com/ or some other translation site if you don't know your way in the Latin jungle :)

[metrodorus]

Since 2000, things have moved on, especially because of web 2.
There is now a Latin web 2.0 social forum, where the entire site is in Latin, including a real-time chatroom - this site has over 1260 members, and picks up a handful of new members every week. On this site, Latin can be seen used every day, and the chatroom is quite active - archives of the chatroom are also viewable online.
http://schola.ning.com
Then there is the new availability of free Latin audio courses online - three different textbooks have been turned into audio books on the Latinum podcast - Adler's Latin conversation textbook, D'ooge's beginning course aimed at reading Caesar, and Underwood's beginning course aimed at medical students. These are available via itunes. These audio materials have been downloaded thousands of times across the globe - few places have Latin teachers, and even fewer offer opportunities for adults to learn the language - so web 2.0 and podcasting has provided a much needed facility for spreading Latin education.
http://latinum.mypodcast.com