Is Latin a dead language? If you study humanities, you probably know what an ugly life Latin makes for us, especially ✨Latin grammar✨. Moreover, those in the philology specialization are subject to a term test on this fantastic subject but, given the current circumstances, we were all spared of any kind of term test. Buuuut, Latin is STILL mandatory in schools, being a subject thought even to 7^th graders. But why? Why so much stress on a dead language? Couldn’t we learn another language of international circulation, like Spanish, for instance? Good question, probably we won’t get the answer soon. Is Latin, however, a really dead, dead language?

Well, a language is considered to be dead if it has gone out of the usual language for a long period of time, but it is taught in universities, used in the scientific community, and classical high schools. In this case, Latin died partially, and it has been kept partially as a science, medical language, and terms. Nowadays, Latin is the official language in the Vatican, Holy See, and Order of Malta.

• What is Latin and how did it spread?

Latin is one of the oldest Indo-European written languages. It appeared among the peoples of ancient Italy around the second millennium B. C., in the region Lazio. The language reached its peak in the first century B. C. when writing was a trend, and Cicero, Horace, Vergil, Ovidiu were established trendsetters. Latin improved simultaneously with the development of Rome. In the fourth century, medieval Latin formed, over which Christianity had a significant influence. The Bible was translated into Latin and since then it became a sacred language. All theological works were written, and it was used in the Catholic Church until the 17^th century (with the reformation of Martin Luther). Renaissance figures used Latin to write their works: Leonardo da Vinci, Petrarch, Boccaccio, wrote on it. Latin has gradually disappeared from human speech, in the Middle Ages, local dialects were increasingly used as an oral language, but Latin lived in religious texts, scientific treatises, biographies, and other works. The rules for sound pronunciation have been forgotten, grammar changed a little, but Latin continued.

Latin can be officially named a dead language since the 6^th century, after the fall of the Roman Empire, when the barbarian peoples had a big influence on the natives, and Latin gradually came out of daily use. Linguists call a dead language a language that doesn’t exist in everyday life, it’s not used in living oral communication, but exists in the form of manuscripts. If there isn’t a single person who speaks the language as if it were their own, then the language is considered to be dead.

But…Latin is a slightly more special dead language. What is certain is that it’s still actively used in many areas of life. Latin is used on a large scale in medicine and biology, as well as in other sciences, but even in daily life people still use some proverbs and sayings in Latin. In addition, Latin is still actively used by the Catholic Church, it’s the official language of the Vatican, The Holy See, and the Order of Malta.

• But is Latin really dead?

Of course, for over a thousand years, no one has spoken Latin as a native. Not even the best Latin teachers can’t use it in daily life. Latin has not been required for university admission since a long time ago. In my country, for instance, it’s not popular among students.

But… the question stays: why is Latin still taught in schools if theoretically, no one is speaking it anymore?! Many significant literary works have been created on it, it has been written and spoken in the Roman Empire, which influenced the development of all Europe. Linguists, historians, doctors, biologists, lawyers, and chemists need Latin. Latin can also help you to understand the ancient culture and facilitates the learning of other Romance languages.

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editorial: Delia Apatroaei & Dragoș Sărățeanu Mihai Ionuț

graphic design: Maria Mătăsaru

translation: Delia Apatroaei

DP (dekstop publishing): Maria Mătăsaru