Why latin language died

In historical terms, Latin didn't die so much as it changed -- into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian. These are known as the Romance languages -- "Rome" is the root term -- and while other tongues developed from Latin, these are the most common. All five of these languages incorporate grammar, tenses and specific intricacies from Latin. Not coincidentally, each language developed in former territories of the Western Roman Empire.

When that empire failed, Latin died, and the new languages were born. Part of the reason that Latin passed out of common usage is because, as a language, it's incredibly complex. Classical Latin is highly inflected, meaning that nearly every word is potentially modified based on tense, case, voice, aspect, person, number, gender and mood. At primary school, pupils have loved learning Latin, coming to it with no preconceptions about elitism or difficulty. They move on to secondary school expecting Latin to continue.

The first cohort of students is now studying classics at university. Demand built, and it is being met. Far from being a dead language, Latin today is a living subject that broadens cultural understanding and educational horizons, and, perhaps most importantly, is truly enjoyed by thousands of pupils across the UK.

Sarah Jackson Founding chair, Classics for All. With increasing numbers of pupils who have trouble with English as a first language — and this applies to pupils everywhere — Latin teaches, above all, grammar: the construction of sentences, subordinate clauses, and punctuation as a result of the latter. It is, in general, a grounding force in an increasingly inarticulate world. Why not have Latin and maybe for those who want to go further, its attendant classical literary texts and poetry to teach a better articulacy subtly, without those terrible grammar rules and analysis of clauses that pupils in the s, for example, were subjected to?

Latin was a prerequisite for university entry at that time, but I have never regretted taking it. It develops logic and is a fascinating tool for unpicking the meaning of words in English, and a key to learning other European languages. So slowly, over a period of hundreds of years, Latin began to change as different regions developed their own dialects and idiosyncrasies. Eventually, these dialects would become unique enough to be named their own languages.

Today, we know them as the Romance languages. The most commonly spoken and recognizable of these related languages are: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French. Romansh, a little- spoken language used in a very small part of Switzerland, may be the modern language that most closely resembles classical Latin. Though not directly related to the Romance languages, Latin still has had an effect on many other languages. English, for example, which is not one of the Romance languages but a Germanic one, can trace nearly two-thirds of its words back to Latin roots.

In addition to the Roman Catholic Church, Latin is also used in the science and mathematic communities extensively.

Ken Black.