BOOKS: Ad Infinitum A Biography of Latin

Learning Latin

Latin lives on in a thousand echoes. E pluribus unum, “Many out of one”, Annuit cœptis, “ God has favored our undertakings,” and Novus ordo seclorum, “A new order of ages,” all appear on the Great Seal of the United States that appears on the dollar bill. A substantial number of English words are based on Latin, especially scientific and medical terms. Forty seven languages, the Romance languages and dialects of Europe, are all direct descendants of Latin vocabulary and grammar. Modern Italian is little more than a modernized version of Latin which had its origin in Latium, the Italian peninsula, and spread throughout Europe becoming the standard language of scholarship, religion, science and government until the 18^th century. Latin has been a cultural constant in Europe for 2000 years. Officially in the scientific world every life form on earth takes a Latin name_ be it plant or animal. But even beyond the reach of its spoken or written vocabulary Latin has defined the way most people in the West express their thoughts. It has shaped and still does shape the way Western people think. Recently British author, Nicholas Ostler, has written " Ad Infinitum A Biography of Latin.” A biography of Latin? Yes and a very good one. The new York Times described it as “Lucid, erudite and elegant.” and the Philadelphia Inquirer, “What a fascinating book!” And that it is! Latin has quite a story behind it and Ostler, a scholar with a working knowledge of 18 languages, does a good job with it. He treats Latin as any biographer would treat the life of his subject, showing its birth, its growth and its dominance. Why was Latin so dominant? According to Ostler, the Romans__they were imperial, their military garrisons were ubiquitous, and they were great road builders. And those roads carried them and their language everywhere. Latin would spread even further throughout Europe as a medium of the Church. Ostler’s main premise here is Latin is not a “dead language” as most think, but lives on and into infinity, ad infinitvm. We still feel its influence today whether we know it or not and it still forms the way we structure our thoughts. So give it its due. Start peppering your speech with some Latin phrases. Why? Perhaps to impress someone in the checkout line__to start try: Satine caloris tibi dies est, “Hot enough for you,” or Eratne turba magna vehiculorum obviam tibi venicenti huc, “Run into much traffic on the way over?” Once they realize your erudition they will surely let you to the head of the line. And as you depart yell: Heu! Tinntinnuntius meus sonat. Abeco., “Darn! There goes my beeper. I’m outta here.”