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Among all the subjects that have been eliminated from the school system, this is one that definitely should have been eliminated.
Agreed. If a student goes into a mathematical, scientific or medical field where the vocabulary of the field is Latin or Greek based, they can learn those terms while studying that field. There's no need for a student to study Latin or Greek solely for the sake of studying Latin or Greek.
I'm not so sure about Greek, but Latin at one time was studied primarily because all well-educated people spoke Latin. That was true up to about the 17th (or maybe even into the 18th) Century. The "universal language of the educated" changed a couple of times. For a time, it was French. Later, German (especially for those in the sciences) was more or less a requirement. Now, for better or worse, it's English. Certainly, in Greece there are Greek speakers, but there really aren't any native Latin speakers anymore. It certainly seems like we can use our educational time for better pursuits than learning Greek or Latin in today's world.
Greek and Latin pretty much resonate as the foundational language of every discipline you care to name. Heck, even the study of literature.
That’s actually not true Math, Science, and Medicine have its foundations in Ancient Egypt which is why they were able to erect gigantic monuments e.g. Pyramids thousands of years prior to Greece existing. For perspective, the first Step Pyramid was build by Imhotep “Father of Medicine” in 2640 BC which was commissioned by Pharoah Djoser...this is about 2,100 years before Alexander the Great. Greece’s greatest scholars Socrates, Hippocrates, Herodotus, Thales, and etc all studied in Egypt in Waset and Ipet-Isut before returning to Greece to wow people with their knowledge. So the foundational language of philosophy, math, science, medicine and astronomy would be MDU NTR and “Hieratic” Script but this was erased from textbooks due to racism. These are all researchable facts...
In earlier times in the Western world the ability to speak and read both Greek and Latin signified to the world that you were a member of elite society and one who had obtained both financial and educational levels unobtainable to ordinary people.
Those who had a classical education were gentlemen and ladies. Gentlemen were entitled to occupations in academia, the professions and government. Ordinary people just worked. People who spoke the common tongue were vulgar. In other words it was an artifice to success.
This is why I like computer science. It's the one branch of science where you don't have to speak in ridiculous Latin or Greek terms. The pioneers in computer science thought it best to create good English origin words and coinings for all new concepts:
It actually makes it easier to speak about computer science because you aren't forced to use a bunch of ugly foreign words that are difficult to pronounce.
I was taught Latin was the language of scholars. French, German, English scholars couldn't communicate with each other in their native tongues. So Latin became the language of scholarly discourse.
I was taught Latin was the language of scholars. French, German, English scholars couldn't communicate with each other in their native tongues. So Latin became the language of scholarly discourse.
It was also the language of the Catholic church.
Perhaps that was the case amongst the educated Europeans using Latin.
French had served as the "lingua franca" of the educated (and diplomats) from the 1600s until about WWII. As the 20th century wore on, English had replaced French's worldwide dominance as the literal lingua franca.
Perhaps that was the case amongst the educated Europeans using Latin.
French had served as the "lingua franca" of the educated (and diplomats) from the 1600s until about WWII. As the 20th century wore on, English had replaced French's worldwide dominance as the literal lingua franca.
I learned French was the language of diplomacy and Latin the language of scholarship. Hence, all the Latin plant, animal, and bird names.
But they point to the same thing: people needing a common language in which to communicate. France was the armory of Europe, its greatest power. Its court was the envy of every dynasty. French art, literature and philosophy were the glory of the continent. Things changed after 1789 but for hundreds of years rulers could bask in the reflected glow of French culture by speaking the language. Speaking the same language is vital to diplomacy. Miscommunication and lead to disaster.
Science and the Catholic church have always had a relationship, usually conflicted. But a relationship even so. They purported to deal with the same things: first principles. Maybe that's why they shared the same language.
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